Michigan Tackles “Flushable” Wipes with New Legislation

Michigan is set to confront the issues caused by "flushable" wipes with the introduction of House Bill No. 4596. This legislative effort seeks to address the problems associated with wipes that do not break down properly, causing significant disruptions in the state's sewage systems.

House Bill No. 4596

House Bill No. 4596 focuses on regulating the sale and distribution of disposable wipes. The bill requires that wipes meet specific criteria to ensure they do not contribute to blockages in sewage systems. It also mandates clear labeling and outlines civil penalties for non-compliance.

Background on Wipes

It's important to distinguish between types of wipes: About 90% of wipes sold in the U.S. are non-flushable. These include baby wipes, household cleaning wipes, makeup removal wipes, and any wipes containing long, plastic fibers. The remaining 10% are labeled as flushable. These flushable wipes are engineered with short, plant-based fibers designed to break down in water similarly to toilet paper.

State officials have expressed concern that many products labeled as "flushable" do not meet these criteria and still cause significant issues. Candice Miller, Macomb County's Public Works Director, highlighted the problem: "These wipes are wreaking havoc on critical underground infrastructure."

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The new legislation will require packaging to prominently feature a warning label stating "DO NOT FLUSH." This measure aims to reduce clogs and lower the associated maintenance costs for taxpayers.

According to the Water Resources Commissioner’s office, Oakland County has dealt with 474 instances of pump station machinery clogs over the past six years due to wipes, costing taxpayers an estimated $134,000, as reported by ABC57.

Addressing Misconceptions

There have been some inaccuracies circulating about the Michigan law. The Responsible Flushing Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to educating the public about proper flushing practices, has issued a press release clarifying the details of the legislation. The press release can be found here.

Feedback from maintenance professionals reflects the real-world impact of these issues. One worker noted:

"I work maintenance for a few apartment communities and holy sh*t do these things make life so f****** miserable for us. Literally tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours down the drain just this year alone clearing out drains because people still believe you can flush these things and it'll be fine."

Another commented:

"What's worse is some idiots insist it's not the wipes because they say 'flushable' on the packaging. Even after we pull out fist fulls of them out of their drains they still insist it's an us problem."