A new regulation and “do not flush” needs to be added to wipes

California Governor Newsom signed AB 818 by assembly member Richard Bloom into law, now requiring all packaging for diaper wipes, cleaning wipes and cosmetic wipes to display clear ‘Do Not Flush’ warnings in the state, as reported from the California Association of Sanitation Agencie

Proposed originally in early 2021, the bill is the result of a three year effort between representatives from wastewater and product stewardship groups, and wipes manufacturers to address the pollution problem that has plagued public wastewater infrastructure. The legislation establishes disposal labeling requirements for wet wipes packaging and requires manufacturers of wipes to educate the public on the impacts of flushing wipes improperly.  

One national study estimated that California agencies spend around $50 million annually to remove wipes from the sewers.

According to a report from the Russian River Watershed Association, wipes that are not intended by the manufacturer to be flushable, which are mostly made with plastic materials, should be clearly and conspicuously labeled as “Do Not Flush.”

AB 818 would define these non-flushable wipes as “covered products” and require them to be marked with the label and a universal moniker following accepted voluntary guidelines established by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry's code of practice.

The bill would also require the manufacturers of “covered products” to conduct comprehensive statewide consumer education and outreach campaign to inform the public about the meaning of the label requirements and to instruct consumers not to flush products covered by the label requirement.