By Jackie Transue / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Remember that giant 15 ton Fatberg in London last summer? It was the size of a double-decker bus consisting of giant glob of wipes, personal hygiene items and grease which clogged the city sewer system.

If these items can clog a tunnel of that size what do you think they are doing to your facility and your local municipal waste water treatment plant? 

Sanitary wipes are very important in the healthcare environment. Staff is usually well trained on how to properly clean for health by wiping down bed rails, door handles, latches, partitions, toilet seats, you name it... cleaning to remove microorganisms that are not seen by the naked eye as well as anything soiled with bodily fluids. In addition wipes can be effective for personal hygiene.

Although wipes can play a big part in good hygiene and can be very effective at reducing germs it is also very important that everyone who uses wipes understand that they should never, ever be flushed. 

Getting this message across can be a difficult task because it’s not just the employees that you need to inform but many visitors, patients and staff. Because in addition to wipes there is an increase in flushing all types of personal hygiene items and people using the toilet as a trash can. 

You are not alone, this issue is happening all over the globe. Wipe and personal hygiene product disposal will damage plumbing, pumps, sewage systems and wastewater treatment facilities. 

Disposable wipes, sanitary wipes, diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products are very sanitary, convenient and beneficial for the user but their disposal in the toilet takes this benefit and makes it into a nightmare for custodians and facility managers. On the municipal level it will translate to higher tax rates needed to pay for the damage to water treatment plants. Many sanitation districts across the country have experienced and increase in pump blockages.

If you just take a look and notice what we use today and what is new in the market you will understand that the “flushable” issue is only going to get worse as the multibillion-dollar feminine hygiene and incontinence market continues to grow and has developed new products like disposable undergarments, flushable wipes and new and improved personal hygiene products. 

Terms you should know: 

• Nondispersible: The wastewater industry’s term for material that doesn’t dissolve quickly in water VS.

• Dispersible: Dissolvable in water. Rapidly dispersible (in less than a minute is ideal).

The focus is on keeping “nondispersibles” out of the toilet. Consistent labeling of what is dispersible and what is not by manufacturers and proper disposal instructions need to be improved to avoid consumer confusion. “Proper disposal options” is another key point. 

A lack of disposal options plays a big role in why these items are getting flushed. The safest choice now is to make it clear to everyone who uses the facility that nothing should be flushed except, human waste and toilet paper. Just because something is flushable (disappears from your view) does not mean it is dispersible. 

Most likely it’s just traveling through and getting hung up somewhere along the way in your plumbing or become tangled in pumps. 

Some of the biggest culprits are: Paper hand towels, sanitary wipes, tampons, baby wipes and various incontinence items .

We all understand why these products are used and also understand that people are going to continue to use even more of them in the years to come.

A disposal bag system can save plumbing, reduce the added and unnecessary expense of damage, reduce unsightly waste, reduce offensive odor and protect people from cross contamination. 

Let’s face it, a lot of the reason that these items are flushed is because they are dirty, unsightly, smell, are embarrassing and messy to discard. The easy thing to do when there is no other choice is to flush them. 

Disposal bags, dispensers, receptacles and bathroom signs can encourage the proper disposal of all of these items. Disposal bags are dispensed where they are needed and are intended for the “personal” disposal of the used item, then tossed in the trash. 

The user will only handle their own items and will not come in contact or see other people’s discarded items. No one will miss the disposal bags, signs and labels letting them know what to do with these items in order to do the right thing for the facility, for the environment and to protect themselves and the other people who share the facilities.

Transue is president of Golden Group International, Ltd. , manufacturer of the S.A.C. products.