Yorkshire Water calls for ban on plastics in wet wipes after releasing pictures of blockages

Yorkshire Water has called for a ban on plastics in wet wipes after releasing pictures of huge balls of waste that were blocking sewers in Hull and Sheffield.

The company wants manufacturers to be banned from labelling their products 'Fine to Flush' and made to use 'Do Not Flush' on single use sanitary items.

It released pictures of a large bundle of waste, primarily made from flushed wet wipes, that was pulled out of a sewer in Hull and another blockage caused by wet wipes and a t-shirt from a sewer in Hull.

Ben Roche, director of waste water at Yorkshire Water, said: "Wet wipes containing plastic, which do not break down in the sewer like toilet paper, are regularly flushed into our sewer network.

"These have a significant impact on the operation of our network and can lead to restricted toilet use, sewage entering homes and gardens, sewage escapes into the local environment or pollution to local watercourses.

In evidence supplied to the government, Yorkshire Water called for an extension of the responsibility of manufacturers to cover the cost of educating customers about correct methods of disposal and clean-up costs resulting from incorrect disposal.

Mr Roche added: "We spend millions of pounds of customers' bills – money which could be better spent elsewhere – to clear these blockages and believe this cost should be covered by manufacturers of wet wipes and plastic-containing sanitary products.