As
‘flushable wipes’ gradually become a popular choice for household cleaning, many consumers are attracted by its ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘dissolvable’ publicity. However, some of the products on the market have false labelling or misleading publicity, leading to frequent problems such as clogged drains and environmental pollution. How to identify flushable wipes? This article from the industry standard, the actual test method to the composition analysis, teach you 3 practical skills, to avoid stepping on the pit.
I.recognise the international certification standards: look at the packaging logo
Genuine dispersible wipes must pass strict dispersibility tests and meet the standards of international authorities. When purchasing, you should focus on checking the following certifications on the package:
INDA/EDANA's GD4 standard: the global mainstream dispersible wipes certification, which requires wipes to be completely disintegrated within 30 minutes in a stir test;
The ‘Fine to Flush’ mark (UK Water Certification): proof that the wipes will not clog pipes;
Tips to avoid the pit: If the packaging is not marked ‘flushed’ and ‘degradable’, be careful when buying!
II.analysis of the ingredients list: avoid the ‘pseudo-environmental’ trap!
Real dispersible wipes need to meet the requirements of both decomposable materials and harmless ingredients:
Substrate requirements:
Must use wood pulp paper, bamboo fibre and other natural biodegradable materials, rather than polyester fibre (plastic);
Fibre length should be ≤12mm (too long to tangle pipes).
Additive restrictions:
Avoid alcohol, preservatives (e.g. MIT, CMIT), fluorescents and other difficult-to-break down chemicals;
Prefer ‘pure water wipes’ or products containing natural antiseptic ingredients (such as tea tree essential oil).
Case comparison: a brand of wet wipes marked ‘bamboo fibre can be dispersed’, but the composition contains polyacrylates (plastic components), in fact, ‘pseudo-environmental’.
III.the extension of the pit guide: these misunderstandings to be wary of
Misunderstanding 1: ‘can be flushed = unlimited amount of flushing into the toilet.’
Even through the certified wet wipes, a single flush toilet is recommended no more than 1-2 pieces, and need to cooperate with a large number of water flow.
Myth 2: ‘High price = good quality’
Some high-priced wipes still use plastic substrates, which need to be combined with the ingredients and certification to judge.
Myth 3: ‘All baby wipes can be flushed away.’
90% of baby wipes contain chemical fibre ingredients, need to specifically buy ‘baby dispersible wipes’.
IV.Conclusion
The key to identifying dispersible wipes lies in the ‘certification + ingredient’ verification. It is recommended to give preference to products labelled with the GD4 standard and confirm their decomposition performance. Environmental protection from the details to start, rational consumption in order to avoid the ‘green trap’!
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