WSAA, on behalf of its members, welcomes the new improved product and packaging initiatives of Kimberly-Clark and recognises their efforts as one of the first in Australia to move to a paper based wipe product which breaks down more easily in water.
Blockages caused by bathroom products have been a growing issue for water utilities and their customers across Australia for several years. It’s costing the community millions of dollars every year to deal with the blockages in the wastewater system and the resulting environmental impacts these products can create.
WSAA and its members are always looking at how to better educate the community on what should go down toilets and drains and support any moves by manufacturers that help in this area. This will assist customers seeking to use and dispose of wipes appropriately and the many customers of water utilities who ultimately pick up the cost of extra maintenance and clean up.
We now call on the rest of the wipes manufacturing and retail industry to quickly follow the positive lead of Kimberly-Clark/Kleenex and commit to developing clearer packaging guidelines and products suitable for both customer use and urban wastewater systems.
WSAA, in collaboration with associations representing wipes manufacturers, Australian Food and Grocery Council and ACCORD, is involved in the development of an international standard for flushable products and looks forward to having a nationally agreed standard that clearly defines the criteria for what can be flushed and how it should be labelled.
In the meantime, we recommend only the three Ps are flushed down the toilet - pee, poo and paper!
31 May 2016
