More than half of Brits against proposed wet wipe ban

59% of Brits oppose the proposed government wet wipe ban, according to research by Lanes Group plc.

 

Although 31% of people admitted to flushing wet wipes down the toilet, with just under a third (32%) admitting the same for kitchen roll, 75% of people stated they were “quite aware” or “very aware” of the dangers associated, including drain blockages, waterway pollution, ocean contamination and killing marine life.

 

Non-biodegradable wipes contribute to 93% of the materials in sewer blockages, known as fatbergs, in Britain, and are estimated to cause around 300,000 blockages a year, costing roughly £100 million to fix.

 

Wet wipes and other disposable wipes should “never be flushed down the toilet, even if they say ‘flushable’ on the packaging”, said Michelle Ringland, head of marketing at Lanes for Drains, due to them usually being made from polyester and containing microfibers full of chemicals.

 

However, only 49% people correctly answered “none of them” when asked which types of wipes are flushable.

 

Earlier this year, more than 5,000 wet wipes were found in an 116m₂ area of the Thames foreshore by waterways charity Thames21, the highest number ever found in the UK

 

Fatbergs, formed when fats, oil and grease (FOG) combine with non-biodegradable products like wet wipes, can block pipes and force sewage back to the source. They are a significant issue in London, with the ‘great Whitechapel fatberg” weighing and estimated 130 tonnes.

 

Click here for more information on the proposed wet wipe ban, and here to read about the microbead ban put in place earlier this year.