LENZING - The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) has verified that moist toilet tissue made with Lenzing's Veocel fibres are safe to flush.

Both Lenzing's Lyocell Short Cut Fibers with Eco Disperse Technology and Lyocell Fine Short Cut Fibers with Eco Disperse Technology have passed the stringent guidelines.

According to Lenzing, it is the first ever fibre supplier to have conducted and passed all the tests, demonstrating that wipes made with Veocel branded fibres are compliant with all the guidelines and perform well.

The IWSFG is a group which seeks to protect customers, wastewater systems, their workers, and the environment, by providing clear guidance on what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. Its mission is to reduce the problems caused by the inappropriate disposal of customer products down the toilet.

Water service providers around the world have experienced costly problems due to the inappropriate flushing of customer products, which also negatively impact public health and the environment.

To address these issues, the IWSFG developed specifications for items that can be flushed down the toilet. These specifications addressed some of the key requirements of the International Water Industry Statement on flushability that to be considered flushable, “the product: a) breaks into small pieces quickly; b) must not be buoyant; c) does not contain plastic.”

The IWSFG guidelines are comprised of test methods from INDA/ EDANA, TAPPI/ ANSI and a new test protocol. The guidelines include evaluations of biological degradation as well as mechanical disintegration. The new Slosh Box test protocol with very low agitation, which is used to assess mechanical disintegration, is considered particularly challenging.

However, MTT wipes made of Veocel Lyocell fibers with Eco Disperse technology, were able to pass all the IWSFG guidelines, showing that these products can be safely flushed and able to break down in sewer systems.