This is the grim aftermath of flushing wet wipes down the toilet
Mutant ‘fatbergs’ have been formed in drains by huge masses of flushed wet wipes (Picture: PA)

The above picture may look like some sort of extraterrestrial creature, but the reality is something far closer to home.

Wet wipes have been causing obstructions in drains across the country, and one company has now lost patience.

Yorkshire Water reckons ‘millions’ is spent by staff clearing drain blockages each year.

Bosses have now called for mandatory ‘do not flush’ labelling on wet wipes to curb the issue.

Wet wipes – particularly baby and toilet wipes – cause some of the worst blockages.

Such blockages can lead to restricted toilet use for customers, sewage escapes into properties and gardens and in some cases pollution in local watercourses.

Yorkshire Water said current labelling on the products leaves consumers confused over how to correctly dispose of them.

The firm said many consumers believe wipes without a ‘fine to flush’ label can be flushed, especially if they are labelled as ‘biodegradable’.

Undated handout picture supplied by Yorkshire Water showing a mass of wet wipes being removed from a sewer in Hull. Yorkshire Water has once again called for mandatory 'do not flush' labelling on wet wipes after research found current labelling is leaving consumers confused over how to correctly dispose of them. The research, released ahead of Plastic Free Beauty Day, revealed 20% of people view wet wipes as 'essential' and 85% of us regularly purchase at least one type of wipe. Issue date: Thursday June 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story CONSUMER Wipes. Photo credit should read: Yorkshire Water/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
A ginormous mass of wet wipes is pictured being removed from a sewer in Hull (Picture: PA)
Undated handout picture supplied by Yorkshire Water showing a section of fatberg being removed from a sewer in City Square. Yorkshire Water has once again called for mandatory 'do not flush' labelling on wet wipes after research found current labelling is leaving consumers confused over how to correctly dispose of them. The research, released ahead of Plastic Free Beauty Day, revealed 20% of people view wet wipes as 'essential' and 85% of us regularly purchase at least one type of wipe. Issue date: Thursday June 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story CONSUMER Wipes. Photo credit should read: Yorkshire Water/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Yorkshire Water has called for mandatory ‘do not flush’ labelling on wet wipes (Picture: PA)

However, it warned that neither ‘biodegradable’ nor ‘fine to flush’ products break down in the sewer network and can cause significant issues in the system.

Ben Roche, director of wastewater at Yorkshire Water, said: ‘Consumers are currently faced with an array of different logos and claims on packets of wet wipes, including ‘fine to flush’, ‘do not flush’ and ‘biodegradable’ labels.

‘Those labelled ‘fine to flush’ often indicate only one wipe should be flushed at a time, but often this is not followed or understood by customers.

‘Even then, these wipes generally contain plastic so do not break down in the sewer as toilet roll does.

Undated handout picture supplied by Yorkshire Water showing a sewage blockage caused by disposing of a wet wipe. Yorkshire Water has once again called for mandatory 'do not flush' labelling on wet wipes after research found current labelling is leaving consumers confused over how to correctly dispose of them. The research, released ahead of Plastic Free Beauty Day, revealed 20% of people view wet wipes as 'essential' and 85% of us regularly purchase at least one type of wipe. Issue date: Thursday June 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story CONSUMER Wipes. Photo credit should read: Yorkshire Water/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
A sewage blockage, caused by wet wipes, which was recently cleared by Yorkshire water (Picture: PA)
Undated handout picture supplied by Yorkshire Water showing wet wipes being removed from a sewer in Headingley. Yorkshire Water has once again called for mandatory 'do not flush' labelling on wet wipes after research found current labelling is leaving consumers confused over how to correctly dispose of them. The research, released ahead of Plastic Free Beauty Day, revealed 20% of people view wet wipes as 'essential' and 85% of us regularly purchase at least one type of wipe. Issue date: Thursday June 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story CONSUMER Wipes. Photo credit should read: Yorkshire Water/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The firm estimates it spends ‘millions’ to clear so-called ‘fatbergs’ and blockages (Picture: PA)

‘Clearly there needs to be a standard message across all wet wipe packaging and we are calling for mandatory ‘do not flush’ messaging to avoid the confusion consumers currently experience when buying all types of wipes.’

A large proportion of the 11 billion wet wipes used in the UK every year still contain some form of plastic, according to the Marine Conservation Society.

Evidence also suggests they are the cause of more than nine in 10 blockages in UK sewers.

Mr Roche added: ‘We are also calling on the Government to extend the responsibility to manufacturers to cover cost of educating customers about correct methods of disposal, and clean-up costs resulting from incorrect disposal.

‘We continue to spend millions of pounds every year to resolve blockages caused by wet wipes and sanitary items, as well as running public awareness campaigns on the correct way to dispose.

‘We have seen some retailers begin to act on this issue, banning all plastic-containing wipes, and we would urge others to do the same.’

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