'Fine to flush' sticker to be put on wet wipes to combat growing 'fatberg' plague

A fatberg found earlier this week
PA
Olivia Tobin11 January 2019

A new sign is to be put on wet wipe packs to indicate if they can be flushed down toilets in a fight against sewer ‘fatbergs’.

A “fine to flush” symbol is now being introduced to indicate if wipes have passed strict tests, the water industry said.

The symbol will let customers know if they’re safe to flush, as it will let them know the products don’t contain plastic and will break down in the sewer system instead of clogging up sewers and contributing to fatbergs, industry body Water UK said.

The news comes after a giant fatberg bigger than Nelson’s Column was found blocking a sewer in a Devon seaside town earlier this week.

The fatberg found in Devon could take "weeks" to break down
PA

Fatbergs form when people put things including fats, nappies, wipes and sanitary towels down toilets, and this one will take around eight weeks to remove, according to South West Water (SWW).

The decision about including the “fine to flush sign” has been made amid consumer confusion and growing concern about the problems caused by flushing away wet wipes, as many are labelled flushable.

These types of wipes would not pass the stringent tests that will allow them to receive the "fine to flush" symbol, Water UK said.

Manufacturers will be able to have their wipes tested by WRc, Swindon-based independent technical experts who have developed the standards with Water UK, and will awarded the mark if the product passes.

The "fine to flush" symbol
PA

Non-flushable wet wipes could make up around 93% of the material causing some sewer blockages, according to research into the problem in 2017.

Water UK, which represents water and sewerage companies, said there are approximately 300,000 sewer blockages a year, costing £100 million, harming the environment and leading to home and business drains backing up.

Water UK chief executive Michael Roberts said: "This is an important step in the battle against blockages.

"We've all seen the impact of fatbergs recently, and we want to see fewer of them.

"Improving the environment is at the core of what the water industry does, and the new 'fine to flush' standard that we've created will make it easier for consumers to buy an environmentally-friendly product instead of one which clogs up drains and sewers."

Additional reporting by Press Association

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT