From May 2027, new environmental protection regulation will come into force, meaning wet wipes containing plastic will be banned. This is welcome news, as it'll mean less plastic and microplastic pollution reaching the environment.
Whilst removing plastic from wipes is a step in the right direction, it’s unlikely to reduce flooding in homes and communities due to wet wipes being flushed down toilets.
Currently, we deal with around 30,000 blockages per year across our region, with almost 40% of blockages in the past 12 months caused by unflushables, many of which are wet wipes and period products.
Over 20,000 of these blockages are entirely preventable if wipes, period products, like tampons, fats, oils, and grease are disposed of in the bin.
Unlike toilet paper, even wipes labelled as ‘flushable’ stay intact in the sewer network. Once flushed, they can get caught inside pipes, then combine with more wipes, tampons, fats, oils and grease. When a blocked sewer floods in a home or community, this causes pollution.
According to our latest estimations, around 1 billion wet wipes are removed from our sewer network each year in the South East. Around 270 million of these wipes are removed from Hampshire, and 30 million from the Isle of Wight.
Wet wipes are also a significant source of visible pollution along our coastline. Between 2015 and 2020, Defra’s Beach Litter Monitoring Data found an average of 20 wet wipes for every 100 metres of UK beach.
Customers understandably choose plastic–free wipes as they’re marketed as more environmentally friendly and flushable. Through our Bin 4 the Win campaign, Southern Water is sharing the message that plastic-free does not mean pollution-free or sewer-safe.
The simplest rule to follow is that only pee, paper and poo should go down the loo. For other items, 'Bin 4 the Win' is a reminder to pop them in the bin.
Research carried out this summer by Southern Water found that age is the biggest factor influencing both flushing behaviour and understanding of the impact wipes can cause. Responses varied significantly between age groups. More than 60 percent of those under 35 said it’s “never fine to flush wipes”, compared with under 20 percent of those aged 65 and over.
There are local differences too. In Hampshire, 49 percent of customers surveyed said they buy wet wipes, compared with 37 percent just across the Solent on the Isle of Wight. What happens to those wipes after they’re used is something we can all help to influence.
Helping share the message amongst family and friends to 'bin it, don't flush it' is one part of the overall solution. Southern Water has an essential role to play in continuing to invest in sewer resilience through the upgrades being made across the region.
Ongoing maintenance and monitoring to improve the overall performance of the wastewater network and reduce the risk of blockages are also vital. In the blockages team at Southern Water, we're part of the wider pollution team, dedicated to responding quickly to pollution incidents, not just from blockages, but from other sources too.
So next time you reach for a wet wipe, remember one simple rule: bin it, don’t flush it.
Only pee, paper and poo should go down the loo.
For more information on preventing blockages at home visit: www.southernwater.co.uk/blockages
To report a blockage or other pollution to Southern Water visit: www.southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support
