One of the UK’s largest household names has successfully achieved Water UK’s official ‘Fine to Flush’ standard on their range of wipes.

Andrex Washlets have passed the strict water industry tests which prove they will break up in the sewer system and won’t cause blockages and fatbergs. With the addition of the Andrex Washlets, there are now five ‘Fine to Flush’ products on the market.

The ‘Fine to Flush’ standard was created by Water UK on behalf of the water and sewerage industry in January 2019 as part of the fight against blockages and fatbergs caused by products which are not supposed to be enter the sewer system – such as toiletry products like wipes, and fats, oils and grease.

There are approximately 300,000 sewer blockages annually, costing the country £100 million.

Christine McGourty, Chief Executive of Water UK, said the ‘Fine to Flush’ standard made it easier for consumers to buy something that’s environmentally-friendly and called for other companies to follow the example of Andrex and make sure their products passed the ‘Fine to Flush’ test too.

The new wet wipe created by Kimberly-Clark is made from 100% natural fibres and does not contain plastic. It is also biodegradable and truly breaks down, passing safely through the sewer system when it is flushed away. The accreditation applies across the full Andrex® Washlets range from Spring this year. 

Water companies separately welcome Andrex accreditation

The water companies have also separately welcomed the news that Kimberly-Clark’s Andrex® Washlets have been awarded the industry flushability standard Fine to Flush.

Rachel Dyson, Anglian Water’s Keep It Clear programme manager, said:

“It is great to see a major manufacturer like Kimberly-Clark has recognised the need to change their flushable marketed wet wipes in order for them to meet the Fine to Flush standard. We hope it is only a matter of time until other retailers and manufacturers will want the Fine to Flush logo seal of approval too, to show customers they are doing the right thing for the environment.”

The water company dealt with over 40,575 blockages in the year 2018/19 of which 80% were caused by unflushables such as wet wipes, sanitary products, other plastic items and fats, oils and grease.

Dealing with the blockages, most of which are entirely preventable, is costing Anglian Water more than £19 million every year to clear.

Grant Mitchell, Severn Trent’s Sewer Blockages Lead, commented:

“This is fantastic news for the wipes and washlets world, and we’re really happy to see these new products being brought to market. For many, many years we’ve been trying to explain the damage and problems that can be caused by people flushing wipes into the sewer system. So it’s great to see the manufacturers listening and getting on board. What we need now, is for other manufacturers to follow and then hopefully soon we may see a huge decrease in sewer blockages.”

Investigations reveal wet wipes typically found in 60% -70% of sewer blockages 

Water UK’s ‘Fine to Flush’ accreditation comes at a time when recent investigations into the UK sewer system discovered that wipes (such as baby wipes, cosmetic wipes and household cleaning wipes) are typically found in 60 to 75% of sewer blockages. Severn Trent alone clears around 50,000 blockages from its network of sewers each year.

Over the past 12 months, a massive six million households in the UK have purchased moist toilet tissues, over three million of which have chosen Andrex Washlets when doing so. This means one in two households that are purchasing moist toilet tissue will now be choosing products deemed safe by Water UK for the sewer system.

Recent consumer insights from Kimberly-Clark, the manufacturer of Andrex, found that over a third of consumers (38%) were concerned with the flushability of moist toilet tissue and their impact on sewer systems.

Ori Ben Shai, Vice President & Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark UK, said:

“Our Andrex® Washlets have adhered to international flushable standards for many years and we are very proud of the investment we have made to now also secure Water UK’s ‘Fine to Flush’ certification. This certification and partnership with Water UK sends a clear message to consumers that they can confidently use Andrex Washlets for superior cleaning whilst also being responsible towards the environment.”

In the UK alone, water companies estimate it costs around £100 million a year to unblock sewers clogged up by wipes and hygiene products.

Manufacturers can have their wipes tested by WRc, the Swindon-based independent technical experts who developed the specifications for flushability standards in conjunction with Water UK. If they pass the tests, manufacturers will receive the ‘Fine to Flush’ symbol from WRc to add to their packaging.