Wet wipes do more harm than good. On the competent disposal of the most “repulsive” fractions of MSW Do wet wipes decompose

The toilet is part of our daily life. Some of us use it for its intended purpose, while others operate it as an additional trash can. Of course, it is difficult to resist the temptation to flush something unnecessary down the toilet and forget about it forever. However, the toilet and wastewater treatment system is not designed for anything other than toilet paper.

What items can not be flushed down the toilet, and what problems can this threaten?

1. Wet wipes

Wet wipes are a fairly popular hygiene item. Despite some manufacturers claiming they can be flushed like toilet paper, these wipes create blockages and clog drains.
Many people do not want to throw wet wipes in the basket if they are using them for hygiene purposes. However, the fibers in wet wipes are much thicker than toilet paper and do not dissolve in water.

Cotton buds

They're made of cotton, you think. In addition, they look very tiny, and are unlikely to clog pipes. Believe me, it's not. Over time, they simply accumulate in pipe bends, causing massive blockages.

Medications

Do you need extra medication? Many people choose to protect themselves or their households by flushing medication down the toilet. However, this habit is very dangerous.
In the sewer, complex biological processes for the breakdown of waste products take place, and drugs interfere with these processes.
Antibacterial drugs create microbes that are resistant to antibiotics, enter water bodies, lakes, rivers and seas and have a detrimental effect on the inhabitants of the water, and subsequently on humans.

paper napkins

Paper towels are much stiffer than toilet paper and do not dissolve as easily in water as toilet paper. Some types of paper towels are strong enough to hold a bowling ball, and even biodegradable types can lead to major clogs.

Cigarette butts

Not only do they spoil the view when they float in the toilet water, but they also contain many toxic chemicals, including tar and nicotine, which then end up in the plumbing and end up in our water.

Adhesive plasters

Adhesive plasters are made of plastic that does not biodegrade in the environment.
They also have the ability to stick to other items in the sewers, and small lumps immediately turn into huge blockages. Throw them in the trash, that's where they belong.

Dental floss

From the outside it seems that this is just a thin thread, but it does not decompose. In addition, she also has one bad property.
When you flush it, it wraps around other items that have fallen into the drain, and as a result, you will have to call a plumber because of the lump formed.

Wet wipes are convenient and make life easier. They are especially appreciated by travelers and parents of small children. But such napkins are not at all eco-friendly - they are practically not recyclable.

Wet wipes, which appeared in the 70s of the last century as a means of hygiene for babies, certainly made life easier for parents. Thanks to them, you can not worry if the child gets dirty on a walk, throws a toy on the dirty ground, or wants to eat a freshly bought fruit. Over time, their convenience was appreciated by people of different ages and occupations. They are used for makeup removal, travel, antibacterial purposes and household use.

Even astronauts on the ISS use wet wipes to protect themselves from radiation during solar flares. According to Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopiev, during magnetic storms, packs of wet wipes are laid along the walls of the cabins - they, like any wet object, reduce the amount of absorbed radiation.

Maybe, in the case of radiation, wipes really save, but in most cases people use them even when it is possible to simply wash their hands with soap.

The Marine Conservation Society estimates that there are about 27 wipes for every 100 meters of UK beach.

Some of them are washed into the sea and end up in the stomachs of marine animals, which mistake the tissue for jellyfish.

At the same time, wipes are made from a mixture of synthetic cellulose and plastic fibers, impregnated with a solution of chemical ingredients, including softeners, fragrances, preservatives and antibacterial agents. With this composition, wipes do not decompose, so they cannot be washed off or composted. However, many people throw them down the toilet, which causes clogging of the sewer.

Once in landfills, they dry up and become so light that they take off at the slightest breath of wind. As a result, along with bags, wet wipes dot the entire space around the landfills.

In addition, artificial flavors and antibacterial agents that are impregnated with fabric poison the soil.

At the same time, wet wipes are very difficult to recycle, so even in countries around the world with a developed system of separate waste collection, they are sent to general containers for non-recyclable waste.

However, there are exceptions: special technological lines capable of successfully processing waste of used wet wipes.

For example, the Tekstrim Group of Companies in Ivanovo declares its readiness to buy waste wet wipes in order to process them into regenerated fiber.

If it is not possible to hand over napkins for recycling, you need to pay attention when buying that they are made from natural fibers. A number of manufacturers - including Natracare, CannyMum and others - have opted for a material that, once released into the natural environment, easily turns into compost.

In addition, they add a minimum of preservatives and fragrances to the wipes, which makes the products even safer for the environment. Such napkins even feel different from ordinary ones - they look more like wet paper than fabric, they tear more easily, but they also decompose more easily.

Another eco-friendly alternative would be a germicidal lotion or gel, which is easy to wipe your hands on a walk.

You can even make your own reusable wet wipes. To do this, you will need pieces of soft cloth, such as flannels, olive oil, castile soap and essential oil.

Pour a tablespoon of oil and soap into a glass of warm boiled water and drop a few drops of essential oil for aroma. Stir the mixture and fill the fabric. After 10-15 minutes, drain excess liquid and place the wipes in a storage container. Such pieces of fabric can easily replace wet wipes, while after use they can be washed and re-impregnated with a solution. You can also make disposable napkins by replacing the fabric with a roll of paper towels.

Every day, tons of garbage enter the sewers of Russian cities, which does not belong there. These are wet wipes, cotton swabs, pads and diapers thrown into the toilet, as well as hair, condoms and much more. Fishing them out of sewage is not an easy task. Often, the habits of Russians turn into big problems for workers in the housing and communal sector. JSC Mosvodokanal conducted a tour for Izvestia of the Lyubertsy wastewater treatment plant in the Nekrasovka district in Moscow (LOS). Read more about how their employees are struggling with the flow of all kinds of garbage from city apartments - in the material.

Toilet instead of a trash can

Wastewater goes through three stages: first, it flows into the sewerage system and collectors, then it comes to treatment facilities, and finally, it returns to rivers and reservoirs. They need to be cleaned to at least a safe level. To do this, first of all, solid objects are removed from the water, and then substances dissolved in it - mainly human waste.

The problems start right away. As a rule, special grates are used for mechanical wastewater treatment. They are also installed at the Lyubertsy treatment facilities. The width of their gap is 6 mm, that is, large debris lingers and is removed here.

Lattices catch the objects thrown in a toilet bowl. These are textiles, paper, food waste, wet wipes, cotton swabs, condoms, pads, diapers, tampons, medicine bottles, and more. Dropped items are occasionally found, such as gold chains and smartphones. All garbage is compressed, dehydrated and sent to landfills.

Non-woven wipes are one of the two biggest woes for cleaning equipment. Such objects do not dissolve in water, moreover, they have an elastic structure - they do not tear, but stretch, they can accumulate on the turning sections of the collector and enter the gratings. On average, 20 tons of garbage is collected at VOC per day. A significant part of them are napkins.

The difficulty is that, passing through the sewers, they clump together. This is usually due to hair or thread thrown into the toilet - they are intertwined, wrapped around napkins, paper, grease, pads and other things and collect them in a pile. When a lump the size of a soccer ball comes to the grate, you have to catch it manually - the device cannot cope with it. The operation of the equipment is suspended, the station staff arm themselves with hooks and remove a ball of garbage from the water.

“The Moscow sewerage system includes 8.7 thousand km of sewer networks, 156 pumping stations - with numerous turns, elevation changes, branches, and so on. That is why the garbage eventually accumulates and collects in large lumps, which then come to our grates. People throw, for example, napkins and don’t think what will happen with these napkins later,” explained Maxim Kurako, Deputy Director, Chief Engineer of VOC.

The second problem is cotton swabs. When sewage is cleaned of large objects, they fall into sand traps, and then into settling tanks. At the first stage, water is freed from small mineral impurities - sand, slag, broken glass, pebbles and other things, at the second - from other undissolved substances that settle at the bottom during settling. In theory, there should no longer be any dispersed impurities that do not dissolve in water, since gratings hold them back. But they are - cotton swabs.

The size of these hygiene products is too small to be stopped by bars with 6 mm gaps. They flow away further - into sand traps and settling tanks. Here they have to be caught from the surface of the water. What could not be lifted is delayed at other stages of cleaning and on small gratings with 1.5 mm gaps.

Kurako noted that a few years ago, wastewater treatment plant workers did not encounter this problem. Only in recent years, the number of cotton swabs in the sewers has increased dramatically. “There was no such thing. Remember how they used to clean their ears: they took matches, wound cotton wool, used it, and then threw it into a bucket. Now it has become easier with this, you don’t need to make sticks yourself, but they are plastic and do not decompose in water. People, without thinking about it, throw them into the toilet,” he said.

Feminine and children's hygiene products also come to the VOC in considerable quantities. Although in public places they are always warned about the ban on throwing them down the toilet, citizens at home are not limited in any way. Unlike cotton swabs and wet wipes, pads, tampons, and diapers also swell significantly in water and increase in size. Even if they pass safely through the sewers, they can get stuck in the pumps and on the grates of the sewage treatment plant and stop their work. The same applies to condoms - they can fill with water and form bubbles in the tubes.

Like in Europe

According to Kurako, in other civilized countries, people are more conscious about the use of water resources and, in particular, sewerage.“In Europe, wet wipes, cotton swabs, tampons, pads, and so on are not thrown into the toilet. Everything we catch here, they throw it in the trash can. We recently had Germans, North Koreans. When we showed them the bars, they were horrified. They did not understand why this is happening, why we allow people to throw such things into the toilet. For them, it is a matter of culture and responsibility,” he said.

In Russia, sewage treatment plants suffer much more from garbage. In some cases, the gratings fail, they have to be stopped, put out of service, repaired and replaced parts. All this requires effort and money.

Mosvodokanal seeks to talk to the public about this problem whenever possible. For example, in the Museum of Water, excursions are constantly held, during which children and adults are told, among other things, about what should not be thrown into the toilet.

An ordinary city dweller, surrounded by the benefits of civilization, rarely thinks that the water in the toilet bowl and the water from the tap are, in fact, one and the same. The quality of its cleaning is one of the indicators of the quality of life of the city as a whole, but not only public utilities are involved in this process. It remains to be considered which is easier - to remove tons of garbage from wastewater treatment plants, to stop the operation of equipment, to manually catch clumps from napkins, hair and pads, to spend money on repairs and purchase of damaged parts, or to put a trash can in the toilet.

It's no secret that some companies abuse the terms "sustainable", "green", "biodegradable" to downplay the impact of materials and the negative effects that come with being thrown into a landfill. In reality, decomposition can take many decades. We offer to study popular myths about the so-called biodegradable things and find out what to choose if you really want to take care of nature.

Compostable VS Biodegradable

First, let's figure out what is the difference between the words"compostable" and "biodegradable". The first means that the product is most likely completely safe for nature and after some time it will continue to exist in the cycle of substances, turning into carbon dioxide and water.Compostableproducts are often made from natural materials such as cellulose, corn and potato starches, and other plant-based materials.

It is a completely different matter with a “biodegradable” thing that is destroyed in nature with the help of bacteria and fungi - here the manufacturer has a lot of ways to evade the question: “When will it decompose?”. The term of decomposition of some goods can reach 300 years, since the landfill simply does not have the conditions that ensure this process.

It would seem, why is it worse than ordinary bags or disposable plastic goods? The fact that the production of things from starch and other "biodegradable" materials is irrational in countries where it is impossible to properly compost and process them. Also, production costsmany more resources - to ensure the rapid decomposition of such plastics, special additives are used (for example, d2w), which accelerate the decomposition of the material under the influence of sunlight, heat and oxygen. Such plastic products break down into plastic fragments, which eventually turn into microplastics that penetrate the soil and water and begin to travel through the food chain, getting into living organisms, including human bodies.

Myths as they are

Myth #1: A paper bag is more environmentally friendly than a plastic one.

If, after the purchase and the first or second transportation of goods, it would not tear, and you could use it for many more years - perhaps! Often this opportunity disappears with the first wetness, the bag is easily torn, leaked and sent to the trash. It will not bring any benefit to nature.

Why? It's not plastic and will decompose faster.

Yes, indeed, it will decompose much faster than plastic and after it becomes garbage, it will bring less harm to nature. But let's take a broader look. To create one paper bag leaves about the same amount of energy as three plastic ones need. Paper production is one of the most polluting things in the world. In addition to a large amount of energy, it also requires huge amounts of water, which is seriously polluted with chemicals. The service life, strength and practicality of this bag is inferior to plastic, so buying them for a large amount is pointless.

What are the options?

The best option is to use reusable things. A fabric bag that will serve you for many years is a really effective way to reduce waste and take care of nature.

Myth #2: Disposable takeaway drink cups are made from paper and are environmentally friendly.

Every morning, thousands of servings of coffee are poured into disposable "to-go" cups called paper cups. However, few people think that to ensure integrity and impermeability under the influence of a hot drink, there is a thin plastic film on the inside. According to the company I Marketing , annually Russian networks use approximately6 billion"paper" cups, which are bound to landfill and spoil the environment. In addition, the lid of the cup, made of polystyrene, when heated, can release carcinogens that will enter our body along with a hot drink.

And remember: if you throw a "paper" cup in a waste paper bin, you will not only force the recycling plant to do double work (they will have to sort the cup and send it to the landfill for you, since the film makes it unrecyclable), but also stain clean waste paper! In addition, plastic polystyrene, from which lids for "paper" cups are made, is accepted for processing in a limited number of cities in Russia, which can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

But this problem also has a solution. And you already know him.Like to drink on the go - get a reusable thermo mug or a small thermos. Zero waste, zero problems.

Movement to move away from disposable cups in favor of reusable alternatives"My cup, please" explains why it is important to use your own thermos mug and provides a map to find points where you will definitely get coffee or other drinks in it. Find out exactly how to achieve this from

Myth #3. Wet wipes are made from natural materials and do not harm the environment.

Wet wipes certainly make life easier for us - they can wipe the dirt from the body when there is no water and soap nearby, some have antiseptic properties and are used to treat wounds. But very often people abuse this product and use it even when you can just wash your hands.

What is the problem? Cloth napkins won't hurt anyone.

The main material used to make wet wipes is synthetic. Even in developed countries, there are problems with proper disposal and processing of synthetics, so they are sent to unsorted garbage and landfills. Also, their antibacterial impregnation strongly poisons the soil, and animals can choke on the napkin itself.

However, in addition to this, there is many reasons why it makes no sense to use wet wipes: they do not clean the skin well, clog the sewer and can get into the stomachs of animals that mistook wipes for food.

Are there alternatives?

You can replace wet wipes with wet paper ordo it yourself reusable wet wipes. And it’s even better not to be lazy and wash your hands, or in extreme cases, use calendula tincture or bactericidal gel (after which bottle for recycling).

Myth #4: Biodegradable tableware and bags decompose quickly in a landfill.

Many companies are really thinking about protecting the environment by ditching or replacing single-use plastic utensils with more environmentally friendly alternatives like starch. Starch spoons are not much more expensive than plastic ones and, it seems, should be less dangerous for nature and humans. Unfortunately, there are a couple of "buts".

Firstly, this material is compostable in the presence of targeted collection and conditions for composting, since starch spoons, in addition to starch, also contain “fastening” compounds that are potentially hazardous to nature if they end up in a landfill. That is, by throwing such dishes into unsorted garbage, and not composting them at home, in the country or in a special place, we send to the landfill, again, a potentially dangerous thing, but also made from food crops. The second “but” follows from this: starch is obtained from potential food - corn, potatoes, etc. These resources are also very valuable when there is a lack of food in many places on Earth. Same situation with packages. more difficult : many stores offer “oxo-degradable” bags, which also pollute the environment with microplastics, but disintegrate into it within a couple of months.

But will it all fall apart in the end?

Yes, but it is not known when and mixed with all the substances polluting the soil and water. Oxo-degradable bags in this case will add even more dangerous microplastics to this mix.

What to do?

Influence delivery services, cafes and restaurants. Disposable tableware and bags should become a thing of the past, giving way to compact and durable reusable appliances that you want to take with you, and beautiful shopping bags.

Myth number 5. Cotton swabs, discs and other hygiene items should be disposable

The production of cotton swabs annually spends about 32 billion liters water. This makes their one-time use irrational, because both a rod made of polypropylene and a soft synthetic material will decompose in a landfill for an extremely long time, namely, about 400 years.

How do you clean your ears then?

You can purchase a bamboo or iron stick, on which it is convenient to wind the right amount of cotton wool (ear cleaning or mimikaki). This is much more comfortable and possibly safer for your ears, although cleaning your ears with sticks or other foreign objects is not recommended. Also, it is worth buying reusable makeup remover pads and just rinse them well or wash them after use.

If polypropylene takes 400 years to decompose, disposable straws are also not allowed?

Yes, but it's also desirable refuse from disposable plastic tableware, cutlery, balloons and paper handkerchiefs. Many cafes began to appear iron or glass straws (even from pasta), which can be used many times. You can also buy them for yourself - it is more pleasant to drink from such a straw, and a brush is often included in the kit to facilitate cleaning. The production of other things, again, is irrational - the ball will burst very soon and end up in the animal's stomach, forests are dying for the sake of making paper handkerchiefs and napkins.

Yes, perhaps it is worth reconsidering your whims for the sake of saving nature, because such a culture of consumption is useless will not lead to good .

Prepared by Marat Shakhgereev

Image source: Depositphotos

Everything that was created on earth from artificial objects was created by a person who thought a lot about his creation. But it often happens that this person did not think it through or did not think everything through. Having missed some important details, as a result, his creation can turn out to be a disaster, as is the case, for example, with plastic bottles. A similar situation develops with wet wipes ...

Wet wipes have become so popular that many people panic if they are not available at the nearest kiosk. But are they good for the environment? In fact, these disposable wipes spread bacteria, clog city sewers and the stomachs of hungry animals. Avoid them at all costs!

“Disposable wet wipes are the biggest evil of 2015,” says The Guardian. These wipes are essentially an instant soapy washcloth that does not require rinsing, is implied to be disinfected, and is simply thrown away after use. They have become extremely popular—too popular, in fact.

Parents carry baby wipes in their strollers and use them when needed. Nursing staff and classroom teachers often wipe surfaces with antibacterial wipes. Travelers stock up on hand-washing tissues on the road.

They are everywhere, in the UK alone the turnover of wet wipes has reached the mark of 500 million pounds a year.

And these small and so widely used super-comfortable wipes create huge problems.

4 reasons why you should stop using wet wipes.

1. Ecological chaos

Just because wet wipes are technically "disposable" doesn't mean they magically disintegrate; instead, they simply disappear somewhere else, out of our sight, where they continue to wreak havoc on the environment.

Wet wipes contain plastic fibers that are not biodegradable. For example, when tissues end up in the ocean, they are eaten by sea creatures such as turtles, who mistake them for jellyfish and eventually die. (The same thing happens with plastic bags.)

“Wild animals often gorge themselves on the plastic stuffed into their stomachs and end up starving to death,” says Charlotte Coombs of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Napkins are being washed off beaches around the world. In 2014, MCS estimated that there were approximately 35 wipes per kilometer of beach in the UK, up 50% from 2013.

2. Clogged toilets and sewers

Many users mistakenly throw wet wipes down the toilet, thus clogging and clogging the drain. Residents of the small town of Kent have buried 2,000 tons of wet wipes in the sewers, according to the Guardians.

When clogging the drain with wet wipes, fat accumulates. In 2013, a piece of congealed fat the size of a bus was found in a sewer in London.

3. Toxic chemicals

Wipes can cause rashes in awkward places, Reuters reports. The Mayo Clinic report cited the example of one man, a postman, who “had a rash around his anus so painful that he could not walk for several months… He was found to have frequently used wet wipes, some of which contain methylchloroisothiazolinone.

Baby wipes contain preservatives and fragrances that should not come into contact with human skin, in particular with the skin of infants and young children. Claimed in an environmental report on the hidden dangers of antibacterial wipes.

4. Spread of bacteria

When hospital staff use wet wipes to wipe down surfaces, it actually only spreads the bacteria further. Researchers at Cardiff University have found that wet wipes give a second life to bacteria. Sounds like good old soap and water would be a much better alternative.

WET WIPES HARM YOUR SKIN

The researchers were able to find out that the wipes themselves pose a serious threat to the body, which in no case should be ignored. A similar statement applies to absolutely all wipes, and even those intended for babies, and must be completely safe.

This hygiene product has been very carefully studied by dermatologists. Based on the results, experts insist that wet wipes can be harmful. The reason is cases of serious allergic skin reactions, which have recently become more frequent. Moreover, medical statistics confirm that doctors from different countries report such phenomena.

In the press there were data that, in fact, are shocking. Most likely, they should not have become the property of the masses. However, the journalists provided this information to the public for review.

In particular, it was reported that more than eleven percent of serious skin reactions were reported during the use of wet wipes, which were recorded during the past year in three hundred and fifty patients. Previously, this topic was studied repeatedly, but it should be noted that at that time the indicators were lower. So, in 2012, the figure is eight and a half percent, and in 2011 there were even fewer reactions, only three and a half percent.

Doctors have also revealed concerns about the fact that the statistics also include those products that are intended for infants. After all, we are accustomed to thinking that a priori they should undergo a more thorough check so as not to become a source of harm. This information, which was not known to anyone for a long time, was announced by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Allergists and dermatologists in the United States have conducted a study on the safety of wet wipes that are used to care for the skin of children. To test sanitary napkins, the composition of their impregnation was investigated. It turned out that chemicals - fragrances, preservatives and others, harm the delicate skin of the child.

American pediatricians strongly recommend that parents exclude or significantly limit the use of wet wipes for skin care not only for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, but also for school-age children, as well as for adults prone to allergic reactions.

Chemicals for sensitive skin turn out to be the most powerful irritants, and very often doctors mistake irritation, contact dermatitis, allergic rash for psoriasis, impetigo, eczema, unaware of the real cause of skin reactions that are caused by wet wipes.

Scientists, researchers from the University of Connecticut, have established a connection between dermatitis on the face, buttocks, hands of children with methylisothiazoline.

This preservative is part of the impregnation of wet wipes with antibacterial action. It was noted that after the cessation of the use of such wipes, skin manifestations in babies disappeared within a week.

Pediatricians recommend replacing the use of wet wipes with regular, simple, standard water treatments. And use modern wet wipes only in extreme cases, when there is no other way to take care of the skin (travel, trips, walks) by choosing high-quality, non-bacterial wipes.

Even in these cases, a plain, dry, soft cloth dampened with plain water will be more effective and safer than dubious antibacterial wet wipes soaked in harmful substances. If irritation, redness, rash occurs, the use of these wipes should be discontinued.

Bacteria, fragrances, preservatives - what else is dangerous baby wipes?

What to pay attention to in the composition? What substances in wet wipes can be harmful? These questions will be answered by Product-test.ru expert Akhtyamova Elza:

“Not all components that make up baby wipes can be safe for a baby’s health. For example, alcohols (such as ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol). In the composition, you can see it under the names: alcohol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol. If it is found in the composition of baby wipes that you are going to buy, then it is better to put this pack aside. In high concentrations, alcohols are known to be highly drying and irritating to the skin, and can also damage the skin barrier. In addition, children very often experience irritation and diaper rash, wipes with alcohol will burn the skin badly.

Phthalates, phthalic acid - used to make the napkin as soft and supple as possible. In tests on mice, phthalates accumulated in the liver and other organs and tissues, and also led to a disruption in the production of hormones in the body. So far, it has not been proven that they really harm a person, but nevertheless, in children's hygiene, these substances are recommended to be avoided.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), otherwise sodium lauryl sulfate, is recognized as one of the most irritating detergents found in cosmetics, and is often included in sanitary napkins. It can cause dryness, irritation, itching, and also enhance the penetration of other substances. Many cosmetic companies are already phasing out its use, replacing it with softer betaines and other active ingredients.

Of course, it is advisable to avoid potentially allergenic fragrances such as limonen, linalol, menthol, mint, grapefruit oil, hexyl cinnamal, lemon, butylphenyl methylpropional, etc. It is better to give preference to fragrance-free hygiene products, especially if the baby has a tendency to allergic reactions ".

Now, we hope you understand that imaginary convenience and comfort can do great harm to your skin and the skin of your children. After all, they lived somehow without these chemical wipes, and they were healthier!