SEATTLE - The US-based Responsible Flushing Alliance has welcomed Andritz and Dude Products as its newest Board of Directors members with both companies now able to bring their distinct expertise and perspectives to the Alliance's mission to educate consumers on smart flushing habits.
The Responsible Flushing Alliance is an independent organization dedicated to educating consumers on keeping their homes and communities healthy by knowing what not to flush and other best practices through its #FlushSmart campaigns.
The campaign is a national effort to promote awareness of responsible flushing habits, with an emphasis on instructing consumers to look for the “Do Not Flush” symbol on product packaging and labeling to identify materials that should not be flushed down the toilet.
With the appointments of Andritz and Dude Products, there are now 16 Board of Directors, with founding member companies including: Albaad, Essity, First Quality, Georgia Pacific, Johnson & Johnson, Jacob Holm, Kelheim Fibres, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Nehemiah Manufacturing, Nice-Pak, Procter & Gamble, Rockline Industries, Sellars Nonwovens, and Suominen Corp.
“Andritz is a leading company in the design and manufacture of nonwoven lines, serving the wipes industry, so sustainability has always been an integrated part of our corporate policy,” said Andreas Lukas, Senior Vice President of Andritz Nonwoven. “By joining the Alliance, we will contribute to the future of this industry by providing sustainable process solutions. Joining the Responsible Flushing Alliance is a part of the “We Care” initiative launched by Andritz earlier this month.”
“We Care” takes a multi-dimensional, comprehensive, and practically oriented approach toward sustainability. Andritz has set itself ambitious goals for each of the focus topics – Environment, Social, and Governance principles – and these goals are aimed at making the business activities of Andritz and its stakeholders more sustainable.
Dude Products, launched in 2012 after receiving startup investment funding on ABC’s Shark Tank, manufactures flush-friendly wipes for men that can be found in over 12,000 stores.
“From the start, flushability has been as much of a priority for Dude Products as a sense of humor. We’ve spent the past decade developing a wipe that works, but is also flush-friendly, because consumers shouldn’t have to choose between cleanliness and an unclogged toilet,” said Sean Riley, chief executive, Dude Products. “Our mission is to keep having fun, build great products, and support consumers anyway we can, which is why we’re excited to join the Responsible Flushing Alliance and work with the industry on the #FlushSmart educational campaign."
Lara Wyss, president of the Responsible Flushing Alliance, said that the addition of the two new members and the continued growth of the Alliance demonstrated how the organization is fulfilling an unmet need in the wipes industry: “Consumers want to do the right thing for their community and the environment, but there is often confusion about what should and should not be flushed, resulting in problems ranging from clogs in their home to clogs in our wastewater systems, which can lead to serious damage," she said. "The impact is real and far-reaching, and the need for smart flushing education is more apparent than ever before.”
The American Society of Civil Engineers Society estimates that in 2019 American utilities spent US$3 billion in replacing sewer pipes and lines but said that $84 billion was what probably should have been spent.
Nearly two-thirds of America’s 800,000 miles of sewers were built before 1960, according to the American Water Works Association, which estimates restoring the sewer pipes in the U.S. would cost more than $1 trillion. It is also estimated that U.S. municipalities spend at least $1 billion annually on maintenance to remove clogs caused by non-flushable wipes. Forensic analysis studies show that 98% of materials that make up sewer clogs are non-flushable items, such as baby wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products and more.