The union representing flight attendants at United Airlines has advised crews not to dump coffee in aircraft lavatories under any circumstances. The instruction comes after United recently advised flight attendants to dump coffee in lavatory toilets only as a last resort.
Where Do Flight Attendants Dump Leftover Coffee On United Airlines? Are Lavatories Ever An Option?
Live and Let’s Fly has reviewed an internal United document entitled “Inflight Policies and Procedures Manual” which was recently updated and addresses how to dispose of liquids onboard.
United warns flight attendants:
Galley drains and lavatory sinks drain into plumbing lines that are connected. If liquid is poured down a clogged drain, water may overflow at the lowest point, which is frequently a lavatory sink.
While the aircraft is at the gate, United instructs flight attendants:
- Turn off coffee pot warmers 30 minutes prior to landing. Discard cooled coffee and tea in the galley trash container. If coffee/tea is still hot, pour in double-bagged trash bags and discard in galley trash containers.
- Do not discard coffee in lavatories (coffee pots are used on multiple segments and we don’t want pots reused after being in lavatories).
- Never pour coffee into the lavatory and galley sinks. This causes clogged drains that can take an aircraft out of service.
- Pouring coffee into galley sinks while aircraft is parked at the gate can also cause serious injuries to our ground employees who are on the tarmac assisting with aircraft departure.
Once the aircraft is in the air, coffee grounds and thick liquids are still to be disposed of in trash containers. The use of lavatory toilets to dispose of liquids is listed only as an option of last resort:
- Do not pour coffee grounds or thick liquids (such as orange juice, tomato juice or milk) into the galley drains. If coffee pot contains a large amount of grounds, discard in galley trash container.
- If coffee/ tea is still hot, pour in double-bagged trash bags and discard in galley trash containers.
- Be prepared to use backup options such as double trash bags or lavatory toilets if a drain becomes blocked.
But a memo from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) warns flight attendants that coffee and other liquids should never be disposed of in the lavatory, without specifying whether it means the lavatory toilet, sink, or trash can (unless we use the narrower definition of facilities as simply toilets).
However, we want to be clear, AFA has advocated that the use of lavatory facilities for the disposal of these liquids is to be avoided as a matter of sanitation. These galley items should never be in the aircraft lavatories as a matter of safe food handling guidelines as it pertains to items used to serve food and beverages to passengers.
Instead, the AFA instructs flight attendants to dump coffee in the galley sink instead when the coffee cannot be safely bagged and thrown into a trash cart.
When the aircraft is in motion, including taxi, use of plastic bags or garbage cans is not promoted unless a drain becomes clogged or in those circumstances were there is a large amount of coffee grounds. If, while performing your galley or safety checks it becomes necessary to dispose of the coffee, because the aircraft is away from the gate and in motion, you may use drains.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo calls the thought of dumping coffee in the toilet “disgusting” but I don’t see the problem of pouring coffee from a couple feet above the toilet…what is the big deal? The toilet will certainly have been flushed prior to dumping the coffee and it’s not like anything is going to splash back into the coffee pot. As long as a flight attendant stands back a foot or two, there is also a low likelihood of the flight attendant encountering any unwanted splashing.
CONCLUSION
We don’t often think about how liquids are disposed of on an aircraft, but polices are in place to prevent aircraft damage or injury to those on the ground. While United has told flight attendants to dump coffee into the toilet before risking clogging the galley sink and rendering the aircraft inoperable, the AFA has told flight attendants it should not empty coffee in the sink under any circumstance and should instead use the galley drain.
As an aside, I’ve seen many flight attendants over the years dump coffee out in the lavatories on United…that serves a dual purpose of disposing of the coffee and also eliminating any foul odors that may be present in the lavatory.
image: United Airlines
Still done on AA as of last week though I thought she dumped it in the lavatory sink, not the toilet since she wasn’t totally in the restroom. Thought it strange but didn’t give it a 2nd thought until reading this story. It may not be technically unsanitary but you wouldn’t want to see it happen in a restaurant. Has to be a better option.
“I don’t see the problem of pouring coffee from a couple feet above the toilet…what is the big deal?”
Airborne fecal particles.
Besides, the lavatory is a generally dirty place and we all know those coffee pots are never washed.
But no problem that the lavatory itself is in the galley. I guess those airborne fecal particles don’t drift out when you open the lav door.
This sh!t is funny lol. Idk I feel someone will always have a problem with something.
“…that serves a dual purpose of disposing of the coffee and also eliminating any foul odors that may be present in the lavatory.”
I’m sure I’m not the only one who prefers the smells of human waste to that of coffee, especially whatever the airlines are trying to pass off as it.
Lol. Really? I love it when coffee bags are in the lavatory. Sure beats the smell of urine from all these guys who can’t aim!
Doesn’t mean they can’t aim, they just assert dominance.
Unrelated, but I was in Cleveland this weekend for NBA ASG and flew a 737-800 each way to connect in Chicago, and the first class on these planes was absolutely disgusting. I’ve been on 737-800s before but don’t think any had first class cabins this outdated. The 737-800s need to be retrofitted so badly.
The entire world dumps liquid into the lav (with the appropriate procedures and precautions of course) but United has always been different in this respect. Interesting how AFA finds this an issue at UA but not at the other airlines where they represent the workforce.
Coffee (not coffee grounds) is nothing else that “dirty water”. So, if cold it is not different than just dumping water in the sink. Not sure why that is so bad. Dumping liquids into plastic bags will add weight and will eventually cause a leak.
I dunno. Coffee is definitely acidic. Maybe the pH is an issue for the plumbing? #grabbing_at_straws
Even better. People use Coca-Cola to unclog their pipes because it is very acid and can dissolve anything (yes, that ia what that does in your stomach).
Considering your body produces acids to aid in digestion, yes in the stomach, your point doesn’t make sense
Lavatory and sink drains both end up exiting the aircraft through external drain masts. When on the ground, the hot coffee could potentially cause injury to someone on the ramp. Doing it inflight can cause the liquid to be ingested in air intake vents on some aircraft, where coffee (and especially grounds) can cause problems… it also tends to stain the belly of the aircraft.
Dumping it in the toilet is best option, but there are concerns with the optics of having the coffee pot in the lav. Galley trash is next best option.
The lavatory is a germ vector, both all surfaces and the air. Because you readers have lousy sanitation practices at home is in no way justification for same on planes. Don’t drink the coffee.
Yes. Do not drink the coffee.
I do remember this from the 90’s when I was a FA for NWA. This is not a new thing.
From my experience, the aircraft drains can clog if flight attendants are simply dumping coffee, sodas, juices and wines down the drain and nothing else. An efficient and smart procedure is to dump liquids and then, at the end of the flight brew hot water in each pot (this cleans the coffeemaker brewing chamber and the pot too) and pour the clean hot water down the drains to flush the lines. The galley drain lines that drain under the aircraft tend to be short and the lines can be flushed/rinsed with these pots of water. If flight attendants made that a habit the lines should remain clear, For the forward galley, the drain tends to be near the nose gear, making dumping at the gate dangerous for ground crew.
AFA should make the suggestion.
The coffee bags break and the coffee has grounds in it which clog the drains. I couldn’t begin to count the number of drains I had to block off and defer because FA’s poured coffee down the galley drains.
Drain lines on airplanes are as small as possible to conserve weight. As others have said, coffee grounds going in those lines will clog them, and the process to clear a clog takes time both in the procedure as well as the reams of log book paperwork after, often delaying turns.
From my 35 years on the ramp experience, I would say the bigger issue- as a post suggests, is those drains exit the aircraft through a drain mast on the underside of the plane, in close proximity to the cargo door where we are working either loading or unloading passenger bags. Since winds compress and speed up as they pass between the fuselage and the ground, all too often those drains are spraying used coffee all over bags, and us, as we work.
It doesn’t make sense. People shit in the toilet and presumably this is ok for the pipes since this is what they are designed for, but pour coffee into it and it gets clogged??
Slow news day?
No.
I’ve seen FA’s do this all the time, never really thought of it.
Not to be too graphic, but one time after using the lav, what was left in the toilet wouldn’t flush down due to its size and shape. The FA poured the contents of the coffee pot in there and it did the trick.