Thanks for the research Eric. I've heard about "flushable" wipe claims being false (or at least not flushable in real world circumstances which is basically the same thing :P ) so I was very interested to read this and see how pouch lines fared.

Because of the wipes fiasco, I'm not 100% surprised these don't pass, but still I am dissappointed. I did have some optimism that these companies-which make prodcuts that improve the lives of people with ostomies- would be honest in their claims. Maybe because their business IS human waste so you think they could -and would!- make something truly flushable.

I don't currently use liners, was just curious about trying them since I've been experimenting with different pouches and accesories (ileo) lately. It bothers me that the liner manufacteres are being shady so idk if I will try them. If I do though I definitly WON'T flush them.

Thanks again for taking the time to research this issue.

Thanks for reading, Erin.

It's been a topic I've wanted to get into for a while, but never had the opportunity to do the research. I'm hoping that consumers can make the best decision on whether to use these liners for themselves :)

Thanks for doing this research. I've been using the liners because I find they make the pouches more odor proof. Sometimes I even empty what's in the liner when it's in the pouch and can therefore reuse it. I've never flushed them because we have an old house with old plumbing and even when out and about I didn't trust the claims of biodegradable. However, occasionally I notice when removing a liner from the pouch that there is fecal residue outside the liner and wonder if they break down with fecal matter but not when it's just water, as in your experiment. Just a thought.

Hi Muffy,

There is no data publically available that gives an estimate of "real world" degradation for these liners, unfortunately.

When I used liners, I noticed that sometimes residue would also be on the outside of the liner, but I trace that back to the tiny holes that are on the upper flap part of the liner, rather than them breaking down. Do you think that's what's happening in your case?

I may decide to experiment again with a liner filled with stool, but the only published information re: biodegradability for flushable liners comes out of the Aura product and they estimate 3-4 weeks under ideal conditions - much longer than it would take to mess up plumbing between your home and your city's water treatment plant.

You're probably right about the waste coming out of the holes. Should have thought about that. I like that there are many times when I can simple push the waste out of the bag rather than removing and discarding the liner because sometimes I would go through 3 liners a day if I'm having a lot of output. So this saves on what I throw away but for some people it would just be too messy!!

Glad you made that video. As a retired plumber and ostomate I consider anything other than output and TP to be a potential problem for any plumbing system. The companies that promote such items ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I’ve used liners for about 1 ½ years, but put in ziplock bags and throw away. I found issues with my plumbing when flushing. Though here we have a pre-sorting system inline of our sewer system that the city put in, as many things get flushed by people that would make you wonder how!!? Then the sorted items get thrown into the land fills, with the other trash. But another thought is with our trash problem anyway, is how long does it take a standard pouch to degrade in a landfill, which is become the next nightmare in our lives... sadly, we have really polluted this earth of ours and it’s going to bite back one day!
As a colostomate we have little choice to a degree, but just think about the whole cycle.. : (

I still think the liners are valuable as they're so much less waste in the garbage than a pouch. Maybe the thing to worry about is the bags we use to dispose of liners or pouches. Is that something people are interested in? I use the doggie waste bags but maybe there's an even better alternative.

I don't use liners, I have an ileo and just dump into the toilet. I use flushable wipes, but dont flush them. since i wear Depends, I have a wastebasket in the bathroom for the messy stuff! I was a little jealous when the liners first came out but even then I thought "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" Companies can not be trusted, often, so thanks for doing the research.
We all do have to make choices, especially regarding the environment, but each person figures out what they can do based on circumstances. We certainly have no choices about the bags, wipes, etc.

I do use a pouch liner mostly but not from any of the companies you've listed. I have an ileostomy and I actually use the bags people use for there dog poop on walks. One they are a fraction of the cost and they work just as well. Same thing with them though some say they are flushable and some biodegradable. I haven't did any research and being I'm saving costs I don't get the flushable ones. I don't flush them I simply tie them and throw them away. I use probably four or five a day. I do get the supposed biodegradable ones. I hope they are as they say. I use Hollister's 2 piece appliance and it works well. Once and a while if it gets too full it might spring a leak inside. Then I just use the normal pouch and empty it as usual till time to change. Financially it's helped me immensely. I can make a box of 10 bags last 3 months. If anyone is looking into them this is what I do. Good luck.

I use liners, but do not flush them. I attempt to put the stool down the toilet, then put the bags out with my garbage. This allows me to use the bags longer if I get to the stool before it presses into the bag. I feel I'm producing a lot less waste this way and saving a lot of money. Odour does transfer to the actual bag, so I usually replace the bag with a fresh liner the next morning.

Is is ok to flush tissues? I put one down so there is no splash and I clean the opening of my bag with a tissue and then flush it. I thought it was the same as toilet paper but I want to check with you.

Hey Mary, I think that facial tissues are probably just fine to flush. They cost more than TP, so why use them except in a pinch?

I just sent you a note asking how the info about the liners can be disseminated to other ostomates. I know your website is very popular but there are still ostomates who rely on their chapter newsletters for this type of info. In my note I asked you to write something up but you already have - sorry for suggesting this. I'll contact out newsletter editor in Regina and see if they can visit your website and at least mention this issue in the next newsletter.

Regular pouches likely take hundreds of years or longer to degrade, unfortunately. I'm sure we'll have better solutions to dealing with these pouches and/or liners that end up in landfills, but for now just don't flush them! ?

Hi Muffy,

The most ideal solution right now is to use drainable pouches for as long as possible. I know some people who will get filterless pouches and wash them out completely between changes (rotating between two or three). Some can make a single pouch last many weeks or longer.

The next best thing is to have truly biodegrade pouches, but we aren't there yet.

Hi Andy, have you tried drainable pouches? They can be used for weeks if you replace only the wafer during an appliance change (although it really depends on how often you empty it and what type of output you have).

Hey Rackem74,

Dog poop bags as liners sounds brilliant, actually. Approximately how much are you paying for them?

Thank you so much for answering Dave. I think I've just gotten into a bad habit. I'll try to switch over to TP.