Wipes made from plastic are now among the top environmental polluters and the cause of sewer blockages – around 100 a day in the UK.
We should not be flushing wipes down into the toilet as they can block the pipes and lead to flooding or littering on beaches because they turn to microplastics in the environment.
The problem that incorrect disposal of wipes caused and the fact that it is made of 90% plastic material led Scottish Water to launch an environmental campaign called “Nature Calls. Bin the Wipes” and included the call to ban them.
The campaign used all types of media – TV, cinema, radio, and social media to get the message across to as many people as possible. The campaign is supported by the Marine Conservative Society, WWF Scotland, and Zero Waste Scotland.
The public was also invited to support the campaign by adding their names to the supporters’ list or sharing the campaign on their social media accounts.
Make Water Famous reports that Douglas Millican, Scottish Water chief executive, urges customers and policymakers to ban the wipes to protect the environment.
“Our message to our customers is clear: please bin the wipes and help us protect the environment. And to policymakers, we say now is the time to ban all wipes containing plastic and rid our sewers, rivers and beaches of this needless problem.”
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“Last year, more than 10,000 tonnes of material – the equivalent of 80 blue whales – was removed from Scotland’s wastewater plants. Many thousands of tonnes more ended up blocking sewers, causing flooding, or being flushed into rivers during storms and heavy rain”.
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Scottish Water campaign says that “Climate change brings heavier rainfall. As sewers become overwhelmed, household waste products – wipes, sanitary items, nappies – can escape into our rivers and on our beaches. Not just unpleasant, this is harmful to the environment and the wildlife we share it with.”
According to their website, 36,000 blockages in drains and sewers each year could cause flooding in homes and neighborhoods and pollute rivers and coastal waters, and 80% of these blockages are caused by flushing the wrong items and flushing fats and grease down the sink.
We should only flush 3 Ps into the toilet, and these are – toilet paper, pee, and poo, and everything else, including the wipes, should go to the bins, the campaign says.
Reports on climate change have repeatedly stated that human activity is causing it. As the temperature rises and exceeds the limit set by the Paris Agreement, more and more extreme events will happen with increasing intensity and frequency.
However, the reports also say that radical behavioral changes favorable to the climate can reduce our GHG emissions. These include reducing fossil fuel consumption, consumerism, food waste, boosting renewable energy, and preserving the environment and resources.
These changes can prevent the worse impacts of climate change. Properly disposing of wipes and reducing our use of plastic is the least we can do to care for our environment and lower our carbon footprint.
Integrating climate change actions is an integral part of evolving infrastructure management practice.
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