Last month, a whole host of water companies wrote to trading standards to complain about packaging of wet wipes and other sanitary products that companies claim are ‘flushable’. The water companies say that these claims are not valid and that toilets are designed for the three Ps only: poo, pee and (toilet) paper.

This comes after there has been major problems caused in the sewerage systems in various countries, including the UK by so-called “flushable” items.

Last week, 281 organisations across 20 countries signed a global statement outlining the water industry’s current position regarding misleading ‘flushable’ labelled products.

The International Water Industry Position Statement on Non-Flushable and ‘Flushable’ Labelled Products reads as follows:

To prevent problems with sewers, pipe and toilet blockages plus the human and environmental cost of sewer flooding and pollution, the organisations signing this statement below agree that:

• Only the 3Ps – Pee, Poo and toilet Paper – should be flushed.

• Currently, all wipes and personal hygiene products should be clearly marked as “Do Not Flush” and be disposed of in the bin or trashcan.

• Wipes labelled “Flushable” based on passing a manufacturers’ trade association guidance document should be labelled “Do Not Flush” until there is a standard agreed by the water and wastewater industry.

• Manufacturers of wipes and personal hygiene products should give consumers clear and unambiguous information about appropriate disposal methods.

• Looking to the future, new innovations in materials might make it possible for certain products to be flushed, if they pass a technical standard which has been developed and agreed by the water and wastewater industry*. Preferably this standard would be developed under the banner of the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

• Key requirements for any standard include that the product:

  1. breaks into small pieces quickly;
  2. must not be buoyant;
  3. does not contain plastic or regenerated cellulose and only contains materials which will readily degrade in a range of natural environments.

In the UK alone, the estimated cost to water companies to unblock sewers exceeds £88 million, and half of the blockages are exacerbated by wipes and hygiene products. There is also an additional human and environmental impact and cost.

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