Southern Water is backing the Government’s continued efforts to reduce plastic pollution as new figures reveal nearly 40% of all blockages are caused by wet wipes and sanitary items. The utility company believes the ban of wet wipes will provide positive benefits for the natural environment and support consumers to make environmentally sustainable choices. So far this year Southern Water has cleared 20,080 blockages, of which nearly 40% were wet wipes and sanitary items. Wet wipes and moist wipe products, such as moist toilet tissue, are used for a range of hygiene and other purposes but can cause problems for the environment. Most wet wipes do not break down in water and are often disposed of incorrectly. Alongside fats, oils, grease, wet wipes are a frequent cause of sewer blockages, causing pollution and flooding. Wipes marketed as flushable, which are intended to break down in the sewer, often shed fibres or, for those containing plastics, slowly break down into microplastics risking pollution to land, rivers and the sea. Anne-Marie McDonald, Head of Operational Planning and Improvement at Southern Water, has said:
“We welcome the Government’s consultation on banning wet wipes containing plastic. The plastic in wet wipes is polluting our environment, blocks our sewers and contaminates our waterways. We employ teams across the Southeast to tackle blocked sewers, where wet wipes are a major factor. Wet wipes are one of the biggest causes of blockages in sewers and at wastewater treatment works. “We invest significantly in and have processes in place to catch and remove wet wipes from the sewer and wastewater network. Over a recent eight-month period, we removed over 6,000 tonnes of debris from the screening systems at our wastewater treatment works. A large proportion of which was made of, or contained, wet wipes and other plastic containing items”.
It’s said that further Government intervention is needed to drive improvements through legislation – banning wet wipes containing plastics should be followed by legislation to reduce the plastic content of sanitary products and other items that are often flushed down toilets, Southern Water says.
Have to say that looks a little like my cooking!.
Yes THE biggest item to block drains weve stopped useing them its always these that cause our drains to block..
It says on the packet not to put them down the toilet, it just goes to show how bad the education system is, dumb people every where.
It is surprising how many people cannot read.
Quote:slowly break down into microplastics risking pollution to land, rivers and the sea.
Really? and all the crap you lot pump intentionally in to the sea doesn’t cause pollution?
What a totally blinkered reaction. Instead of trying to ban something that is really useful for most people, how about educating the public to dispose of them properly. Oh, I forgot, there is no useful education in this country anymore.
It isn’t the wet wipes that are the problem, it is the brain dead cretins using them.
There is nothing wrong with using them, they can be very useful. It’s the idiots that don’t dispose of them properly that are the problem.
I only use newspaper or greaseproof paper as the old stuff is the best