Anybody flush their spent portions?

[ponysoprano]

I've gotten into the habit, while at home on the computer, playing vids, or just relaxing, of spitting my used portions into the toilet and flushing them. When I'm online for longer periods, I get up to use the bathroom and put in a new snus. We're in kind of a rural area, and on a septic system. I'm sure snus portions are fully biodegradeable, but I wonder if I'm on my way to clogging up the septic? I know it's odd, but it saves me from having a big bag of damp spent portions in my work area or bedroom.

[RobsanX]

If I'm at home or work, I'll flush them or trash them... If I'm out in public, I'll usually cap them until I get home...

[lxskllr]

You might want to rethink that since you're on private sewer. The portion material is the same as cigarette filters, which don't biodegrade in any reasonable time frame. Having a septic system is enough of a PITA without adding to the problem.

[cocsp2002]

I read (I think on buysnus, but it may have been elsewhere) that the portion bags are the same material as a teabag, which I assumed was a cotton-type material which was biodegradable.

[lxskllr]

I read (I think on buysnus, but it may have been elsewhere) that the portion bags are the same material as a teabag, which I assumed was a cotton-type material which was biodegradable.

You might be right. I thought I remembered reading that the bags were made from acetate, but with a bit of looking now, it appears they're made from cellulose. My septic system is fairly marginal so I try not to put anything in it that I don't have to.

Wikipedia says it's biodegradable, but that's kind of a relative term.

"Cellulose has no taste, is odourless, is hydrophilic, is insoluble in water and most organic solvents, is chiral and it is biodegradable."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose

[cocsp2002]

Ok, I have no idea what chiral means, but hey, it was on Wikipedia, so it's gotta be good, right?

[holnrew]

I flush em too, it just seems easier when I'm using the loo, but seeing as I mostly use los it can't make much difference, they already look like mini turds.

But then apparently all those cigarette butts are releasing a lot of nicotine into the water which is harmful to nature, so with snus it would be worse...

[ponysoprano]

cocsp2002, I looked up "chiral" and I still don't understand it fully, lol.
Yeah I always thought cig. butts were fiberglass, or, fibreglass for the non-Americans. I should maybe stop the home-flush, as the house I live in, and its septic tank, don't belong to me! btw: the image I posted above I'd found on photobucket and it seemed appropriate, that's not my dog. :roll:

[Jason]

That really is an interesting question I have never actually thought about. I flush mine almost all the time; strangely, I rarely ever did it with cigarette butts (didn't smoke in the rest of the house, but the bathroom was ok). Used portions are usually pretty sticky; I could see how they could collect in certain spots and clog things up...

[bigmacemd]

Ahhh Chiral... My biochemistry knowledge lead me to inform its the ability to isomerize (change shape) into other forms. This would basically lead to a breakdown of substance since it is able to change its structure freely, while things like pvc are polymers stuck in a chain that cannot break free of each other naturally...


So flush away folks! but seems like you could definitely clog up a septic tank with extreme amounts