“The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) welcomes the news that the ACCC is appealing the Federal Court’s decision to dismiss part of its case against Kimberly-Clark’, said Mr Adam Lovell, Executive Director.
On 28 June the Court found that Kimberly-Clark’s ‘flushable’ claims were not false or misleading.
“WSAA continues to call for clearer labelling for consumers and is leading the development of an Australian Standard for Flushable Products. The Standard will be released for public comment in the next couple of months and we expect it to be finalised by the end of 2019”, said Mr Lovell.
The Standard will include pass/fail criteria and is being developed by manufacturers, water utilities, peak bodies and consumer groups. It will provide manufacturers with clear specifications to design products that are compatible with the sewerage network in Australia.
“It’s not just an issue here in Australia but internationally. UK water utilities say it costs £100 million annually to clear blockages contributed to mainly by wet wipes. Utilities in the US report similar experiences. Here in Australia and New Zealand the issue is costing the urban water industry millions of dollars each year”, said Mr Lovell.
Until the Standard is finalised we advise consumers to only flush the 3Ps – Pee, Poo and toilet Paper!
29 Jul 2019
