Nonwovens / Technical Textiles
Combatting marine pollution with the VEOCEL™ brand
Studies show that more than 98% of the material that clogs equipment at wastewater systems are non-flushable items, such as baby wipes, cleaning wipes, paper towels and feminine hygiene products. This is a key reason why the industry is highly focused on improving the flushability of these products where possible.
In Europe as well as the US, nonwovens associations EDANA and INDA have developed a series of tests over several years, and are currently on the fourth edition of the “Guidelines for Assessing the Flushability of Disposable Nonwovens Products” which wet wipes need to pass in order to be labelled as flushable with the appropriate logo. Every flushability test consists of two parts – one part for the disintegration and one part for the biodegradation. If a wipe contains plastic fibers, the wipe will not pass the biodegradation test.
In the UK, wet wipes are believed to cause up to 93% of sewer blockages[2]. Last year, volunteers at UK environmental charity Thames21 retrieved over 27,000 wipes in just two days near the iconic Battersea Bridge. At another site, a mound of wet wipes was discovered to have grown by 1.4 meters in just five years, with enough volume to cover two tennis courts.
The problem in London is so pronounced that the buildup of wet wipes is actually changing the shape of the riverbed. When non-biodegradable wet wipes end up on the foreshore, they break down into microplastics which wreak havoc on aquatic life and the marine ecosystem.
In response to this issue, Water UK established a specific protocol for the UK called the “Fine to Flush” standard, which identifies and labels wet wipes with a “Fine to Flush” symbol, once they have been thoroughly tested. These tests ensure that the wet wipes do not cause any damage from sewage pollution caused by a blockage or pump failure linked to their use. With the “Fine to Flush” symbol added to the package, consumers know they can flush down the used moist toilet tissues safely, because they do not contain any petro-chemical derived plastic fibers that would breakdown into microplastics.
Other countries, such as China, Australia, and the US, have their own guidelines which take into account the specificities of each region, such as IWSFG protocol (International Water Services Flushability Group) which is considered by the industry as one of the most stringent and difficult protocol to pass. All of these guidelines have the same goal: to prevent end-users flushing items down the toilet which are not flushable. Ideally, a single and unified global standard to be used across the whole value-chain would be a significant improvement for the education and awareness of consumers, as inconsistencies in the labelling of these products can also cause confusion amongst end-users, further exacerbating the problem of sewer blockages.
To reinforce its position as a sustainable leader in the nonwovens industry, Lenzing demonstrated in 2021 that moist toilet tissue wipes using VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers with Eco Disperse technology have passed the Fine to Flush and IWSFG guidelines. In addition, VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers are fully biodegradable in different conditions and certified by a leading certification body TÜV Austria.
Results of experiments conducted by the University of California’s prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography confirmed that wood-based cellulosic fibers biodegrade in the ocean within a short period of time at the end of their life cycle. The study compared the degradation processes of nonwovens made from fossil-based synthetic materials, such as polyester, with those of cellulosic materials, such as Lenzing’s wood-based Lyocell, Modal and Viscose fibers under real oceanic conditions and controlled aquaria conditions. The results of these experiments were striking: while wood-based cellulosic fibers fully biodegraded within 30 days, the fossil-based fibers tested were practically unchanged after more than 200 days. Due to their biodegradability, VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers which are used in wet wipes, do not contribute to water pollution and the microplastic problem caused by synthetic materials.
VEOCEL™ remains committed to working with brands and industry bodies to help develop stringent environmental standards and raise awareness among end-users to help the nonwovens industry continue to reduce its impact on the environment.
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