Experts are calling for a change in the law after removing large sewer blockages -caused by wet wipes. Yorkshire Water has called for mandatory ‘do not flush’ labelling on wet wipes after research found current labelling is leaving consumers confused.
The research, released ahead of Plastic Free Beauty Day, revealed 20% of people view wet wipes as ‘essential’ and 85% of us regularly purchase at least one type of wipe. But it’s the packaging of wipes and instructions on how to dispose of them that causes confusion, particularly in the case of toilet wipes and baby wipes, which are the most likely to be flushed.
Once flushed, these wipes - even those certified as ‘fine to flush’ - do not breakdown in the sewer network and can develop into blockages, which can lead to restricted toilet use for customers, sewage escapes into properties and gardens and in some cases pollution in local watercourses. The research indicated one in five believe even wipes without a ‘fine to flush’ label can be flushed and 38% of people said they would flush biodegradable wipes as they will dissolve or breakdown faster.
