Abstract
Inappropriate disposal of wipes and other products that are either explicitly labelled or assumed by the consumers to be flushable via toilets is increasingly being cited as the cause of a range of sewer systems issues. In the rapidly growing and diverse market for these consumer products, there are significant variations in consumer information provided by manufacturers, product composition and behaviour in different components of wastewater system. This paper summarizes the results of assessing the labelling, drainline clearance and disintegration testing of 101 consumer products, adopting the International Water Services Flushability Group flushability specifications. None of the products tested satisfy the product labelling Code of Practice, and all products other than bathroom tissue failed the disintegration test, including the 23 products that were labelled 'flushable'. The need for a global definition of a 'flushable' product exists and it is vital that it is brought into legislation in an effort to combat misconceptions around consumer products that may exist internationally.
Highlights
One of the reasons that is being increasingly cited as a potential cause for increased operational difficulties related to wastewater systems is the inappropriate disposal of wipes and other products that are either explicitly labelled or assumed by the consumers to be flushable
The intent of the Code of Practice (CoP) is to direct manufacturers to make it evident on product packaging not to flush products that could be problematic for wastewater systems but have the potential to be flushed down the toilet by consumers
The objective of research presented in this paper is to investigate a large number of consumer products that could potentially be flushed down the toilets, assessing: (1) the packaging adherence to the industry association packaging guidance (CoP), (2) drainline clearance characteristics and (3) disintegration behaviour
Summary
One of the reasons that is being increasingly cited as a potential cause for increased operational difficulties related to wastewater systems is the inappropriate disposal of wipes and other products that are either explicitly labelled or assumed by the consumers to be flushable. With this in mind, the problems associated with the presence of ‘flushable’ products in sewer systems are likely to worsen if measures that span a broad variety of stakeholders, from manufacturers to consumers and sewer system managers, are not taken. The problems associated with the presence of ‘flushable’ products in sewer systems are likely to worsen if measures that span a broad variety of stakeholders, from manufacturers to consumers and sewer system managers, are not taken The journey of these manufactured products, starts at store shelves, where package labelling influences both consumers’ decision to buy them and their choice of disposal methods.
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