Comment by bell-cot
4 days ago
If anyone is unfamiliar with fatbergs - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatberg
That I've heard, the best way to minimize fatbergs would be to put a hefty tax on "flushable" wipes. Unfortunately, the companies which manufacture them all know that breaking consumers' fell-good delusions (that the wipes are guilt-free flushable) would tank their sales. And politicians are always happy to let lobby-savvy corporations externalize their costs onto the public purse.
IMO the gov't should skip the hefty tax and force them to remove the "flushable" label.
Tomayto, tomahto.
The important thing would be to block them from replacing "flushable" with something similarly deceiving. Ideally, they'd have to replace it with a big, scary warning label - about how flushing those wipes could stick you with a flood of backed-up sewage and/or a 5-figure plumbing or septic system repair bill.
Are any types of those wipes actually flushable?
generally, no. if they're wet before they get used, flushing them won't fix anything.
toilet paper is designed to break down rapidly, even when compared to things like paper towels and tissues.