10 Surprising Items You Must Never Pour Down the Drain

Fruit Stickers and Jar Stickers

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Tiny labels on apples and jam jars feel insignificant, yet their waterproof adhesive grips pipe walls like superglue. Stickers clump together, join fats and coffee grounds, and create a stubborn obstruction that no plunger can dislodge. Because most labels are plastic, they also survive wastewater treatment and drift into oceans where marine animals mistake them for food. Simply peel and toss stickers in a trash can before washing produce, and you eliminate a stealthy source of pollution.