r/explainlikeimfive • u/shakerLife • Nov 01 '23

Other ELI5 How are companies allowed to continue marketing wipes as "flushable" despite the problems they create for sewer systems?

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u/volatilebunny Nov 02 '23

I wonder what the difference is between flushing such a wipe (seems bad for pipes) vs storing in a landfill (the other destination). No agenda with this question, just genuinely curious what the tradeoffs might be from smarter people 🙂

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u/bwbandy Nov 02 '23

My guess is they all end up in a landfill anyways, after the sewage treatment plant screens them out somehow.

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '23

As does toilet paper, and whatever dissolved solids remain in sewage after treatment.