The recent news that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) fined Pental $700,000 for falsely claiming its White King wipes were flushable was welcomed by INDA and EDANA, the leading North American-based and European-based trade associations for the nonwovens industry dedicated to advancing education and technology in the wipes category.
INDA and EDANA have worked with leading industry and wastewater experts to develop a comprehensive battery of tests that ensure a wipe intended to be marketed as “flushable” is compatible with the wastewater system after it is flushed.
“There are rigorous testing procedures for flushability and Pental’s product did not pass those tests and should have been clearly marked with a “Do Not Flush” symbol per our Code of Practice for labeling,” said Dave Rousse, president of INDA. “A thorough review of White King wipes revealed that the product had not undergone flushability claims testing, and recent industry testing has shown that the product does not pass the stringent Edition 3 Flushability Guidelines (GD3) of INDA and EDANA. This type of behavior hurts responsible manufacturers because some consumers and regulators will unfairly attribute those failures to the entire category of flushable wipes.”
“Wipes that don’t pass GD3 testing should have a prominent ‘Do Not Flush’ symbol and should not be flushed,” said Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA. “We want consumers to be properly informed and confident that products with a flushable claim have passed this rigorous testing. That is why the flushable claim should only be used on products that pass the GD3 guidelines. Companies that do not back their “flushable” claim with product testing following the guidelines should be held accountable.”