Drain Tales

Have you ever thought of how many different things you pour down your drain on a daily basis?

I decided to keep track of my drain pour-age for an entire day.

- Coffee (Wait! Poured that in the houseplant!)

- Dish soap/Hand soap

- Toothpaste

- Food residue

- Beer

- Shampoo

- Conditioner

- Body wash

- Face wash

- Water

Have you ever thought of the different chemicals in some of these liquids and how they could be effecting our environment (wildlife) and more specifically our drinking water?

Here's a breakdown of the ingredients in everything I poured down the drain today (JUST ONE DAY!):

- Dish soap/Hand soap (Natural Visions - Green Tea and Thyme Concentrated Dish Soap)
     - Aqueous Concentrate of Biodegradeable Anionic and Nonionic Surfactants with Foam Boosters          (uhhh, what?)
     - Buffer Agent
     - Moisturizers
     - Antioxidant (Vitamin E)
     - Aloe
     - Glycerin
     - Fragrance and Colorants (Free & Clear Contains No Fragrance or Colorants) (uhh.. what?)
     - Contains No Phosphates, Bleach or Enzymes

- Toothpaste (Crest - Tartar Protection Whitening)
     - Sodium floride 0.243%
- Beer (New Belgium 1554: Black Lager)
     - Ingredients not available.. anywhere.. that's another post!

- Shampoo (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Rosemary Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Birch Leaf Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Clary
     - Organic Lavender
     - Organic Coltsfoot leaf
     - Organic Yarrow Oil
     - Organic Mallow
     - Organic Horsetail Oil
     - Organic Soybean Protein
     - C12-14 Olefin Sulfonate (coconut derived)
     - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
     - Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
     - Trace Minerals
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
     - Sodium Chloride (Sea Salt)
     - Grapefruit Seed
- Conditioner (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Birch Leaf Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Clary
     - Organic Coltsfoot leaf
     - Organic Yarrow Oil
     - Organic Mallow
     - Organic Horsetail Oil
     - Organic Soybean Protein
     - Cetyl Alcohol
     - Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
     - Trace Minerals
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
     - Grapefruit Seed
- Body wash (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Soybean Protein Extracts
     - Menthol
     - Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
     - Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
     - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
     - Vegetable Glycerin
     - Panthenol
     - Tocopherol Acetate
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
- Face wash (Acure - Brightening Facial Scrub)
     - Organic Curoxidant Blend [(Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus Fruticosus          (Blackberry)
     - Organic Rosa Canina (Rosehips)
     - Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate)
     - Fair Trade Organic Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos)]
     - Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula)
     - Organic Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile)
     - Organic Aloe Barbensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice
     - Vegetable Glycerin
     - French Green Clay
     - Organic Lemon Peel Granules
     - Saponified Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil)
     - Cellulose Gum (Vegetable)
     - Organic Olea Europaea (Olive Oil)
     - Organic Ascophyllum Nodosum (Sea Kelp)
     - Theobromo Cacao (Cocoa) Powder
     - Organic Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor)
     - Chlorophyll
     - Glucono Delta Lactone (Fermented Sugar)
     - Carageenan
     - Argania Spinosa (Argan) Stem Cells
     - Organic Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil
     - Potassium Sorbate (Food Grade Preservative)
     - Lilium Candidum Leaf Cell Extract
     - Essential Oil Blend of Salvia Officinalis (Sage)
     - Mentha spicata (Spearmint)

This is a gazillion things! What is the impact of each ingredient? I know these are not toxic materials, but what effect to they have on our waste water system? I noticed that my shampoo, conditioner and body wash have mostly the same ingredients, have I been fooled into thinking my shampoo and body wash are two different things?

I decided to look up the biggest and scariest looking word:  Hydroxymethyglycinate

And was I surprised to find that this product is TOXIC! It is a chemical preservative commonly found in "natural" body products used to prevent bacterial or fungal growth. Yes, hydroxymethyglycinate is not the best for your skin (it can cause burning and irritation) but what does it mean for the environment?

I recommend this activity for anyone who wants to take a deep look at the impact they are making on our water supply. I usually read the backs of labels, try to buy organic, but have never looked at each product individually and then as a collection of everything that went down my drain in one day.