They’re cheap to buy and there’s now a wipe for every conceivable use. But this kind of convenience comes at a high price.
The number of wipes that are bought and flushed every year in Australia has rocketed. The result has cost householders to fix blocked drains and clogged pipes. This the problem is getting much worse.
While toilet paper starts breaking down almost immediately, the woven fabric of wet wipes does not. As they move through the system they collect fat, grease and other food debris.
Eventually they bind together creating blockages in household pipes and sewer mains resulting in overflows to the surrounding environment.
Narrandera Shire Council is encouraging everyone to re-think how wipes are used and how they are disposed.
Although some wipes are labelled ‘flushable’ it doesn’t mean that they should be flushed. Really the only thing that should go down a toilet is human waste and toilet paper.
Anything else should go in the bin. Wet wipes - please, don’t flush them.
