Charleston Water System and Kimberly-Clark Reach First Ever Agreement for Cottonelle® Flushable Wipes to Meet National Municipal Flushability Standard and Industry-Leading Labeling for Flushable and Non-Flushable Wipes
Building on groundbreaking technical work by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and others, association member Charleston Water System has reached a legally binding agreement with the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. By May 1, 2022, the Cottonelle Flushable Wipes will meet municipal wastewater industry’s wipe flushability standard. The agreement also includes product labeling improvements that will allow consumers to more easily distinguish between flushable wipes and the rest of their wipe products which are non-flushable.
Brunswick County and other municipalities across the country have fought an ongoing battle with wipes labeled as flushable which do not disintegrate the way consumers are lead to believe. These “flushable” wipes can cause damage to sewer grinder pumps, lead to overflows of sewer collection systems, and cause issues within a homeowner’s plumbing system. Brunswick County applauds the steps taken by Kimberly-Clark Corporation and would encourage our customers to utilize wipes that are actually flushable.
Brunswick County commends Kimberly-Clark for not only committing to improving their products, but also educating consumers about which wipes are truly flushable and the dangers of flushing those that are not. Kimberly-Clark is also committing to conduct testing for two years to confirm the Cottonelle Flushable Wipes will continue to meet the municipal flushability performance standard after the set start date of May 1, 2022.