Wet wipes are causing problems both in the UK – on our beaches http://www.mcsuk.org/press/view/618 as well as for water authorities in the US where they are causing damage to pumps and blocking pipes. In the US they are taking legal action against the manufacturers to address the problem (LINK). See Below
On UK Beaches Charlotte Coombes MCS Piles of wet wipes are littering UK beaches as more people choose to use moist cloths to remove make-up, replace traditional toilet paper and apply fake tan. According to beach litter data collected by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and published in its annual Great British Beach Clean report, numbers of wet wipes found on beaches have increased by over 50% in a single year. The charity’s report also revealed a 6.4% rise in beach litter between 2013 and 2014 and a rising trend in rubbish on UK shores over the past 20 years. The weekend long event last September saw 5,349 volunteers on 300 beaches. They collected 2,457 pieces of litter for every kilometre cleaned and surveyed. The problem is that wipes, often described as flushable, are being put down the loo instead of thrown in the bin. “Our sewerage systems weren’t built to cope with wet wipes. When flushed they don’t disintegrate like toilet paper, and they typically contain plastic so once they reach the sea, they last for a very long time. They can cause blockages in our sewers, and then everything else that has been flushed down the loo can either back up into people’s homes, or overflow into rivers and seas. Overflows also happen during excessive rainfall, or if the plumbing hasn’t been connected up properly meaning the wrong pipes are heading straight to the sea. That’s when we find Sewage Related Debris, including wet wipes, on the beach.” The Great British Beach Clean report. The report and a summary of our findings can be found here: http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Reports+and+downloads/Beachwatch+results+2014
Millions Of Dollars In Sewer Clogs Prompts Flushable-Wipes Lawsuit
Water Online: Sara Jerome: A Minnesota city is suing six manufacturers of so-called “flushable” personal wipes, alleging that the product is not living up to its name and instead clogging up the sewer system.
“The lawsuit, filed [last month] in federal court, might be the first seeking class-action status on behalf of cities grappling with the disposable cloths that wastewater officials say are plugging pipes and pumps,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Pitted at the makers of baby wipes, antibacterial towelettes and other similar hygiene products, the lawsuit homed in on the cost of repairing clogged infrastructure. The complaint states: “Flushable wipes remain intact long enough to pass through private wastewater drain pipes into the municipal sewer line, causing clogs and other issues for municipal and county sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants, resulting in thousands, if not millions, of dollars of damages.” Too read more go to:
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