• New research shows that 22% of people admit to flushing wet wipes down the toilet despite 88% saying they are aware they harm the environment
• This is despite an overwhelming majority of the public saying they care about protecting the environment (91%), pollution of rivers and seas (91%), and protecting animals (93%)
• Wet wipes are the single biggest cause of fatbergs that block sewage systems, and are a major contributor towards littering in rivers

Water companies across the UK have joined forces to urge the public to stop flushing wet wipes, in a new national campaign to get people to ‘Bin the Wipe’ and help protect the environment and prevent homes and businesses from being flooded. The campaign launches as new research reveals that over a fifth (22%) of people admit to flushing wet wipes down the toilet.

This is despite findings that 88% of people in the UK are aware that flushing wet wipes can harm the environment, an issue that 91% of people said was important to them.

“Bin the Wipe” is a campaign launched by Water UK to stop people from flushing wet wipes; one of the UK’s biggest issues when it comes to blocked drains and damaged sewers, and a major contributor towards littering in rivers.

75% of drain blockages are caused by people flushing wet wipes down the toilet. This is because the vast majority of wet wipes contain strong fibres, which means, unlike toilet paper, they don’t break down in the plumbing within our homes or in sewers.

Wet wipes are a major cause of pollution

Wet wipes are one of the main ingredients of ‘fatbergs’ that block sewers. There are approximately 300,000 sewer blockages a year, costing the country £100 million.  Thousands of properties suffer sewer flooding caused by these blockages every year in the UK, creating misery for homeowners and businesses, and leading to high clean-up bills and increased insurance costs.

Wet wipes are a major cause of pollution in our seas and rivers especially when fibres become trapped inside animals, leading to starvation and ultimately killing them – today’s campaign aims to ensure wipes are disposed of in the bin, avoiding the risk of them being washed into rivers.

Of those who admitted to flushing wet wipes, an overwhelming majority said that protecting the environment was an important issue to them (89%), along with protecting animals (91%), pollution of rivers and seas (87%).  Seven in ten people (71%) still use wet wipes today, despite 83% of people saying that using sustainable products was important to them.

Notes:

• Savanta surveyed 2,320 UK adults online between 27-29th January. Data were weighted to be nationally representative of all UK adults by age, gender region and social grade
• Men are more likely to flush wet wipes than women – 27% of men said they flushed wet wipes compared with 18% of women.
• Young people aged 18-24 were the worst flushing offenders by far, with almost half (44%) admitting to flushing wipes. This compares to just 12% of those over the age of 65.

Further information from WaterUK can be found here.