EDANA and INDA, the Associations representing the suppliers of nonwoven materials and products that appear on the market across Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, are committed to communicating to consumers when the toilet is an appropriate disposal route for finished products in the marketplace.

Guidelines document

In 2008, the Associations issued the first Guidance Document to help wipe manufacturers assess whether their products should be flushed into the wastewater stream. A second edition was published in 2009. The third edition of the ‘Guidelines Document for Assessing the Flushability of Nonwoven Disposable Products’ was released in June 2013. 

Since the first edition, the Guidance Document has been a living document, and the feedback was continually gathered from stakeholders across the nonwovens and wastewater industries to use in reviews and updates of the Guidelines.

Proper disposal route

According to EDANA, the aim is to reduce the amount of non-flushable material in the wastewater stream.  Therefore, it is important that even products which are likely to be flushed (even though not designed to be), and products which do not meet our Guidelines are labeled ‘Do Not Flush’.

This is why a voluntary Code of Practice was developed, which includes a dedicated symbol for companies to use on product packaging. Clear communication on packaging is expected to help to educate consumers on the proper disposal route for products and prevent costly problems at home and at wastewater treatment facilities. 

Definition of flushability

Flushability has been an area of focus for EDANA in Europe and INDA in North America since 2004, as they formed industry-based task forces to address the flushability of nonwoven disposable products.

Technical experts from the member companies worked together to develop a definition of flushability, a technical assessment and test methods. The test methods were based on the combined experience of the nonwoven disposable products industry and drew upon expertise from academia, consultancy and the wastewater industry.

It is recognised that the appeal of these products comes from the advantages they offer in effectiveness, cleanliness, convenience and ease of use. However, how and where they are used can encourage flushing as the means for disposal which, in certain cases, is not the correct route.

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