Southern Water is backing the Government’s continued efforts to reduce plastics pollution – as a consultation on the ban of wet wipes comes to a close.
Views on the manufacture, sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastics can be provided until 25th November 2023.
We believe the ban of wet wipes will provide positive benefits for our natural environment and support consumers to make environmentally sustainable choices.
So far this year Southern Water have 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 breakdown in the sewer, often shed fibres or, for those containing plastics, slowly breakdown into microplastics risking pollution to land, rivers and the sea.
Anne-Marie McDonald, Head of Operational Planning and Improvement at Southern Water, 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.
Our network protection teams work proactively across our region, demonstrating to customers and businesses first hand examples of the problems caused by flushing non-biodegradable items.
However, 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. Banning the sale of these products is an important step in supporting consumers, who want to make environmentally sustainable choices.