Rep. Mary Peltola has cosponsored a bill that would ban flushable wipes — the wipes that are flushable but don’t break down in sewer or septic systems. Unflushables, in other words.
The bill would not ban the popular wipes, but require the “flushables” to be properly labeled as non-flushable.
The WIPPES Act — Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety Act — is a product of Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain and Peltola, to address the wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of wet wipes that don’t break down in sewer and septic systems.
“During the COVID pandemic, Anchorage wastewater workers reported pulling up to 6,000 pounds of wipes daily out of the sewer system,” Peltola said. “To address this issue, I’m proud to be a leader on the WIPPES Act, a common-sense bill that would take a significant step towards reducing the amount of trash that ends up in our sewers, rivers, and oceans. Every step that we can take to improve our wastewater infrastructure and marine habitats is worth it, especially when it’s as simple as adding a sentence to a package. It’s time to wipe out this problem for good.”
