It seems that the UK Government is set to target the ‘Wet Wipe Generation’ by introducing a possible ban on parents ‘go to’ clean up tool, the wet wipe.
Wet Wipes make up 93% of matter causing UK sewer blockages
If the ban comes into force, supermarkets will no longer sell them and parents will need to find eco-friendly alternatives. Wet wipes are primarily made of polyester and contain millions of microfibres impregnated with chemicals.
City to Sea campaign said “we need to rethink bad habits and only flush the 3 x P’s: Pee, Paper and Poo”
Tens of thousands of wet wipes are sold in Britain each year. Many of these wipes are flushed away despite clear information to inform users they are not flushable. Public toilets often display wipes and sanitary products should not be put down the toilet, yet the public continue to flush items which clog mains sewers.
Chemical Awareness
Despite this being a controversial issue with parents, the fact is, these wipes contain chemicals and it seems beneficial to the environment, the sewer networks and babies bottoms, faces and hands to avoid their use.
Plastic Population (without the Yazz!)
There has been a lot of press attention in regard to plastic pollution in our oceans, especially since David Attenborough’s Blue Planet program brought it to our attention in such a vivid and shocking manner.
The time has come to respect our planet, even if this is at the detriment to our convenience. Alternative options need to be found to satisfy both consumers and planet alike.
The Fat Berg Problem
We wrote about this a while back and the problem remains a constant challenge for the UK, with wipes and flushed items (which should never be flushed) being a contributing factor.
BBC reports on the monster sized ‘FatBerg’ living in our sewers
Whilst efforts have been made in the industry to create ‘flushable wipes’ these have been treated with chemicals which are questionably ‘bad for the skin’ and ultimately, whilst they might break down quicker than conventional wipes, they still take time to break down and contribute to blockages in the sewage system.