Aldi has been awarded Water UK’s Fine to Flush standard for its range of moist toilet tissues and toddler toilet wipes.
Launched in a bid to tackle the rise of blockages and ‘fatbergs’ – large masses of fat and oils that form around non-biodegradable solid matter flushed down the toilet – the standard is given to products that can be flushed down toilets and pass safely through sewer systems.
The Fine to Flush symbol will feature on packs of Aldi Moist Toilet Tissue and Mamia Sensitive Toddler Toilet Wipes.
Wipes and other ‘disposable’ products are the main cause of sewer blockages in the UK. Many products labelled as ‘flushable’ do not break down quickly enough when they enter the sewer system – even though they meet standards set by the European industry body, Edana.
Water UK’s testing process looks for plastics and residuals that could contaminate rivers, estuaries and the sea, and offers the only standard for flushability recognised by the UK water industry.
Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi said: “Fatbergs and other blockages are a significant problem in the UK and elsewhere and are most commonly caused by people flushing wipes and other non-biodegradable products down toilets.
“We have been working closely with our suppliers and Water UK for some time, and are pleased to be one of the first supermarkets to ensure the materials in our full range of toilet wipes and tissues easily break down in wastewater and can pass these tough new tests.”
Christine McGourty, Chief Executive of Water UK, said: “This is a big step forward in the fight against fatbergs, and Aldi should be congratulated on achieving the official ‘Fine to Flush’ standard. Improving the environment is at the core of what the water industry does, and the ‘Fine to Flush’ standard makes it easier for consumers to buy an environmentally-friendly product instead of one which clogs up drains and sewers. If a wipe isn’t ‘Fine to Flush’ it should go in the bin.”
Aldi is also working towards making 100% of its own label packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022.
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