As discussed in the accompanying column on this page, the wastewater sector is encountering a high level of debris in their collection systems that should not have been flushed down toilets. Wipes that have been flushed are a significant portion of this debris, with paper towels and feminine hygiene products also significant contributors.
But only wipes have a small category designed and marketed as “flushable.” And this small category of the overall wipes industry has gotten a lot of misdirected attention lately that should be focused on the other items that make up over 90 percent of what is known to be in the collected wastewater debris.
Just because some things can be flushed down a toilet (like paper towels, many wipes and even golf balls) does not mean they are designed to be safe in the wastewater system and are therefore flush-friendly. We need to focus "Do Not Flush" efforts on the right targets, the items never designed to be flushed. My industry is doing just that.
I represent INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, a $30 billion global industry whose end-products include diapers, all kinds of wipes, insulation materials and filters, among others, and companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark and Georgia-Pacific.
We agree there’s a problem: We need to stop flushing items not designed to be flushed. In the wipes category, 93 percent of the wipes sold are not designed to be flushed, not marketed to be flushed, and often contain disposal instructions to not flush. These include baby wipes, hard-surface cleaning wipes, anti-bacterial wipes, facial wipes and many others.
Only 7 percent of wipes are designed to not be harmful to wastewater systems and, therefore, marketed as flushable. And these are highly engineered items made of natural cellulosic fibers. They hold together to get their job done, and then lose their integrity when flushed and conveyed through the wastewater system. They have been put through Flushability Assessment Testing to substantiate this property.
In studies of the debris collected on wastewater screens, paper towels consistently made up the largest item, accounting for almost 50 percent. Paper towels should not be flushed. Baby wipes — not designed to be flushed, but rolled up in a diaper and discarded in the trash — were second, with almost 20 percent. Then came feminine hygiene products (again, not designed to be flushed), then household and personal care wipes (not designed to be flushed).
Items that could be identified as flushable wipes accounted for only 8 percent of the debris, and they were there primarily because of the accumulation effect once a blockage had started. Even pieces of toilet paper can be found on that blockage.
We are working with the wastewater sector to focus attention on the more-than 90 percent of items that are really causing the debris problems in wastewater systems. We are also working to further strengthen the Flushability Assessment Testing that qualifies what can be called flushable.
The solution to the burden of too much being flushed that should not be flushed rests with everyone working together — consumers, manufacturers, wastewater entities and communities — to build awareness a toilet is not a trash can, and proper disposal paths should be followed on all items used in a bathroom.
We in the wipes industry have developed a “Do Not Flush” symbol for non-flushable wipes and, in collaboration with wastewater associations, are committed to giving consumers the information they need to make wise choices. We welcome all who are willing to work with us towards that goal.
Please visit www.INDA.org to learn about our commitment to safe disposal practices for those wipes (93 percent) not meant to be flushed. We are all in this together.
David Rousse is president of INDA (www.INDA.org), the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
About the Author
