In a report based on testing of 101 single-use wipes, 23 of which were labeled as 'flushable', not a single wipe successfully dispersed or fell apart in the sewer system test.
Testing was performed by the Ryerson's Flushability Lab.
Products which fail the test can clog or degrade household pipes and city sewer systems.
"This research confirms conclusively what those of us in the industry already knew. That single-use wipes, including cleansing and diaper wipes, cannot be safely flushed, even those labelled as 'flushable,'" said report lead Barry Orr, masters student in Environmental Applied Science and Management, and a 25-year veteran Sewer Outreach and Control Inspector with the City of London in Ontario, Canada.
Testing on each wipe was performed by simulating a typical residence's plumbing from toilet to sewer including typical bends and slope, water pressure, and urban infrastructure.
the Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group has estimated that $250 million is spent annually across Canada for operations and maintenance related to the removal of blockages from equipment, due to the flushing of wipes and other non-flushable materials. Many of these wipes also contain synthetic fibres, including plastics, which can make their way into waterways, harming water systems and wildlife.
Orr called for a standard legislated industry-wide definition for the term 'flushable' so that consumers could be informed and make appropriate decisions for their health and to avoid various harms being caused by the term's misleading use today.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Captival on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:07AM (7 children)
It says "flushable", not "biodegradeable". You're the one that wants to alter language.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by c0lo on Thursday April 11 2019, @07:45AM (1 child)
What exactly in the:
suggest or imply the expectation of biodegradation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Troll) by aristarchus on Thursday April 11 2019, @08:14AM
Again, I miss frojack! He would have tacked one of these "flushable" wipes to the side of his shed, and probably would have sprayed it with a hose for months, just to give us some empirical data. Such a man of science was frojack. Climate-change denier shill as well, but no one if purfucted.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday April 11 2019, @08:07AM (3 children)
Goldfish are flushable.
Small cats can be.
Flushable wipes, similar.
Just beause you can doesn't mean you should.
Anyone for a fatberg [wikipedia.org]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @10:13AM (2 children)
I've produced turds that were a lot harder to flush than these wipes.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @12:21PM (1 child)
Even a hard turd will eventually absorb water, soften and fall apart. A synthetic fiber wipe will not. Just because something clears the p-trap doesn't mean you should flush it.
If it's not human waste or real toilet paper don't flush it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @04:16PM
Whatever. Eventually can easily exceed a day, and then you're stuck using an auger or calling someone. But no, instead of improving plumbing standards, the industry whines about wipes.
(Score: 2) by DutchUncle on Thursday April 11 2019, @01:12PM
Truth in labeling. If something is labeled "flushable", the average reader assumes this means "*safe* to flush", not just "possible to flush", because at the simplest level ANYTHING THAT FITS in the pipe is "flushable" from rocks to stuffed animals. Ask the average toddler.