The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is looking to slam the lid on flushable wipes, which it claims are mislabeled and responsible for costly repairs to septic tanks and city sewers.
The MPCA will ask the Legislature to ban such labels as "flushable," "septic safe" or "sewer safe" on wipes sold in Minnesota. The proposal also would require packaging to include a "do not flush" warning, so consumers know the wipes should be thrown in the trash, not the toilet.
City officials have complained for several years that the multipurpose sanitary cloths fail to break down, despite assurances on packaging that they are "flushable." Utility workers say wipes snag in pipes and valves, clogging wastewater treatment systems.
"Our cities are spending a ton of money every year — and so are private citizens — to have their pipes cleaned out," said Craig Johnson, a lobbyist with League of Minnesota Cities. "These do not [break down]. They sit there and collect debris until they form a big ball that plugs the system."
This year's legislative session will focus on water issues, so this was the right time to take action on the issue, Johnson said. It's unclear whether the Legislature will move on the proposal.
Popularity of disposable wipes has increased as manufacturers advertise them as convenient for cleaning needs from removing makeup to scrubbing messy babies and disinfecting counters.
Unlike toilet paper, some wipes are more than 30 percent plastic and aren't biodegradable, critics say.
"Toilet paper rapidly falls apart in the system; these wipes do not. It becomes a problem because our treatment facilities are not designed to accommodate these," said MPCA legislative director Greta Gauthier. "The toilet is not a trash can."