The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) announces its support for the new Michigan law requiring non-flushable wipes such as baby wipes, surface cleaning wipes, makeup removal wipes, and other non-flushable wipes commonly used in the bathroom to prominently display the “Do Not Flush” symbol on packaging. The law will help consumers differentiate between wipes that should never be flushed and those that are flushable.

Michigan is one of seven states to require the proper labeling of non-flushable wet wipes. Other states include California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Colorado and New Jersey. Additionally, federal legislation, called the WIPPES Act, has passed the House and is now in the Senate. The WIPPES aAt would make it a national requirement for all baby wipes and other non-flushable wipes made with plastic fibers to have the “Do Not Flush” symbol.

“We applaud Michigan’s passage of the proper labeling of non-flushable wipes law,” says Lara Wyss, president of the Responsible Flushing Alliance. “Clear and well-placed disposal instructions on non-flushable wipes are key to consumer understanding of which categories of wipes should not be flushed. At the RFA, our mission is to provide educational information to both consumers and wastewater agencies about smart flushing habits.”

Among the various categories of wet wipes sold in the U.S., around 90% are considered non-flushable as they are made with long and often plastic fibers necessary for wiping tasks such as hard surface cleaning or diapering. The other 10% of wet wipes sold in the U.S. are considered flushable wipes as they are made with short, plant-based, biodegradable fibers (not plastic) and are specifically engineered to break down in water, similar to toilet paper. For that reason, labeling laws requiring the “Do Not Flush” symbol apply solely to non-flushable wipes.

The RFA, the California Association of Wastewater Agencies (CASA), and the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) jointly conducted a sewage system collection study in Northern and Southern California to take a forensic look at what’s being flushed down the toilet that shouldn’t be. More than 1700 items were pulled during peak flow times from the bar screens of the wastewater treatment facilities in the Inland Empire (IEUA) and in Contra Costa County (Central San).

The primary categories of items collected, analyzed, and identified at these two study locations included: 34.1% wipes labeled with the “Do Not Flush” symbol, 64.9% other non-flushable items (paper towels, period products, trash, etc.), and 0.9% were wipes labeled as flushable. All non-flushable wipes were fully intact whereas the flushable wipes were in the process of falling apart.

This California collection study is the most recent study undertaken and results were similar to other studies conducted previously.

“If we can educate people about not flushing wipes with the “Do Not Flush” symbol, paper towels, and feminine hygiene products, that would eliminate over 90% of things that shouldn’t be flushed,” Wyss adds.