MNHQ here: what do you think about manufacturers marketing wipes as 'flushable'?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

We've been contacted by a major utilities company asking Mumsnet to throw its weight behind a campaign it's running on the marketing of 'flushable' wet wipes and 'moist' toilet tissue.

The organisation that's contacted us says that 80% of all sewer blockages are the result of sewer misuse, and that 70% of these blockages are the result of wet wipes. They want manufacturers to stop being able to label wipes as being 'flushable'.

They are going to write to the Advertising Standards Authority complaining that consumers are being misled by the packaging and claims on many of these products. They say consumers are encouraged to believe that these products break down harmlessly when flushed - whereas in truth, they don't break down after flushing and can end up causing blocks, leaks and flooding.

We know from previous conversations about tampons and sanpro that MNers tend to be stalwart defenders of the public sewage system, so we said we'd ask you whether this was a campaign you'd like us to swing behind.

As ever, it would be great to hear what you think.

Thanks
MNHQ

[FoxesSitOnBoxes]

Are those moist loo roll thingies bad for the sewers? I didn't know. Will stop immediately. Would never flush a wet wipe or tampon but honestly assumed that something for wiping bottoms would be flushable

[ThornyBird]

I'd back this - we had a sewage overflow in our garden thanks to blockage caused by 'flushable' wipes. Combined with my DC's monster turds it was like a mini poonami

[LateToTheParty]

Great idea & fully support this. I've never flushed wipes, nappies or sanitary towels, even the toilet training wipes we used which had 'flushable' printed on them.

I'm still bitter about having to pay a £50 call out charge recently when our toilet and shower overflowed. Turned out it was next doors drain not ours, and it was full of wipes of some sort. Think it had come from another neighbour and travelled downhill and blocked at the lowest point in the road.

[cozietoesie]

It's a fair assumption to make, Foxes. Sadly, it isn't usually so.

[ThornyBird]

Having just read back the posts I cross posted with, I agree a campaign aimed at what you CAN flush rather than what you can't would be better - pee, poo and paper (plus the occasional vomit or should that not be flushed? )

I think if you try to list what you can't flush, it becomes too open to people interpreting what they want to read.

[LarrytheCucumber]

I was told by a plumber never to flush flushable wipes because they catch on the sides of the sewer or add to blockages already there. They should not be labeled Flushable unless they disintegrate.

[BarkGruffalo]

Very misleading marketing and yes it should be challenged.

[blue2014]

Oh god, I always assumed flushable meant biodegradable. I'm really annoyed as I use such wipes all the time

[BreakingDad77]

I have watched several of those TV shows on waste treatment as well as other discussions showing that though they make it through the domestic system in house they cause problems downstream at the waste treatment plant. This mean higher costs = higher bills.

There is a flusable test I believe but I am guessing that this is a very poor proxy and perhaps they need to change it.

[doyourballshanglow]

Every Sodding Year I get this thanks to the people 3 doors down who flush their nappies. And yes I know its them as they have fessed up to it before in a 'oh youve had the drain people out again. Have you got a problem with your drains as we flush nappies and allsorts' kind of way.

Last time it cost me close to £200 to get the fucking drain unblocked. Mainly pampers nappies which isnt me as my kids dont wear nappies and I cant see the elderly couple next door using them either.
I felt like nailing the invoice to her door.

And thanks to the clown that lived here before thinking he was Handy Andy on the cheap the drain pipe from our toilet is an external downpipe NOT a 110mm soil stack pipe like it should be. The toilet blocks on a daily basis so we most definitely dont flush anything other than pi$$, puke, paper and poo down the damned thing. Dont even get me started on the drain pipe from the bath thats actually a washing machine hose

[MagratsFlyawayHair]

I dint realise they didn't break down. ~wanders off to bin remaining flushable wipes~

I'd never dream of flushing normal baby wipes. Surely it's false advertising if they don't break down in a similar fashion to loo paper?

[Rhuba]

You can see how people get confused though can't you. Flushable wipes sound pretty flushable to me!

[ABCAlwaysBeCunting]

I would like to see this stop as well. I had to replace £2K's worth of wood floor and clean up the raw sewage that flooded half my flat after a neighbour blocked up pipes with 'flushable' wipes.

[WhirlwindHugs]

I agree

[cozietoesie]

Indeed, Rhuba. That's why more prominence being given to the whole issue would be such a good idea.

[RiverTam]

I've was guilty for years of flushing tampons, and in recent times of flushing 'flushable' toddler wipes and toilet cleaning wipes, down the loo. MN educated me! Though the worst instance of a blocked swear I ever had was caused by next door dumped their unused pebble dashing down the drain. Oh dear...

As an aside, since DD potty trained I have realised the usefulness of the bidet. I wish we had one.

[RiverTam]

Blocked swear? Blocked sewer!

[Pettywoman]

Yes, I'm in favour of this campaign. We have to get Dyno Rod out annually to deal with next door's tampons and wipes when the poo starts running down our drive.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Excellent. Very pleased to see the considerable might of Mumsnet being used in a useful way for once.

While you're at it, can you persuade any squash and soft drinks manufacturers to ditch the aspartame/stevia and market their products proudly as NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. There are millions of us who can't abide aspartame and it's in more or less every kind of soft drink now .

[MrsHathaway]

I would support this. It's criminal that manufacturers get away with labelling these wipes "flushable" when they shouldn't be flushed.

Amma explains to Bing that most things shouldn't be flushed in one of DS3's favourite episodes.

"If it isn't paper, wee or poo,
"You mustn't flush it down the loo."

When you think about it, it's obvious that something which doesn't disintegrate when wet (eg moist TT, tampons) won't disintegrate in the sewerage system either. But most of us don't spend much time thinking about it - so a campaign would be useful.

[cozietoesie]

ABC

Sorry to hear about that. Many people just don't understand sewers and the effect of a blockage somewhere in the system.

[mmchocolate]

ThornyBird
Completely agree I would like to see one of the old fashioned public information campaign that says if it's not poo wee or loo roll don't flush it. It should be every where, social media,tv, radio Internet and newspapers I know it would be costly but cheaper in the long run than constantly dealing with blockages and repairs.

I think repeat offenders should be made to go down the sewers and clean the blockages.

[wonkylegs]

I would support any initiative to reduce the 'crap' people think is flushable and therefore subsequently block our village sewage system with. The sight of tampons and shitty baby wipes & nappies floating down our street (or even worse in the case of my flooded friends house, across the living room floor) is enough to make me hate the misleading nature of the packaging of these products with a vengeance. Unfortunatly the people at the top of the village on the new housing estates don't see the problems they cause as its not til the big modern drains meet the victorian system half way down the village that the blockages occur and unfortunatly they occur on a regular basis. Education and changing the packaging would really help as lots of people I've told about this honestly don't know they are doing anything wrong.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Definitely support this

I use moist tissues or wipes when aunt floor is visiting but they go in the bag with the tampon and wrappers.

I remember i can only flush my 4 p's

Poss
Poo
Puke and
Paper.

Look we've written the ads for them, complete with jingle by MrsH

[glenthebattleostrich]

Obviously poss should be piss, my phone dislikes swearing!