The world’s first truly flushable wipes are vegan.
The biodegradable wipes are made by sustainable brand Natracare, which also makes organic and natural menstrual products.
Although many wipes on the market say they are flushable on the packet, according to the BBC, none of these are actually proven as safe to flush down the toilet. They cause blockages in sewers — costing millions to fix — and they’re harmful to the marine environment, often eventually ending up in the sea.
According to Friends of the Earth, the problem has become so severe in London that a new riverbed has formed from flushed wipes in the River Thames.
“Everyday disposable wet wipes have somehow managed to become an unignorable part of the topography of our towns and cities,” notes the organization. “And that’s before they even reach the sea and cause untold havoc there.”
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Natracare believes it has a solution. Made with 100 percent paper tissue, the brand’s wipes are biodegradable and plastic-free; they are also the first-ever wipes to pass Water UK’s rigorous test for wipes and moist tissues.
“Across the world, around 14,000 wet wipes are used every second, if everyone swapped over to 100% truly flushable paper-based alternatives, it would help halt global plastic pollution and reduce harm to our oceans,” Natracare says in a statement on its website.
Natracare’s natural, organic, fragrance-free wipes are kind to the skin and they can be used on babies and young children, they are also 100 percent compostable.
“Natracare Moist Tissues are for cleaning bottoms – women who are menstruating; parents of young children; elderly people; disabled people and their carers, and those who find it painful or difficult to wipe with paper,” says the brand. “You can use them to wipe anything you like!”
Wet wipes are just one part of the environmental problem. Plastic pollution is caused by a variety of products, and as an awareness of the crisis in our oceans grows, more brands and supermarket chains are stepping up to create change.
Earlier this year, Iceland announced its goal of being the first plastic-free supermarket chain in the world by 2023. “We all have a part to play in tackling the issue,” said the company’s managing director Richard Walker in a statement.
Natracare’s wipes are available from Ocado, Waitrose, and natural health stores across the UK.
