Search Engine

Are flushable wipes actually flushable?

January 30, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The core question of the *Search Engine* episode, "Are flushable wipes actually flushable?", pits consumer marketing claims against the realities faced by municipal wastewater systems, leading to legal battles. 
  • The history of flushable wipes traces back to the late 1990s as an attempt to capitalize on the adult use of baby wipes, evolving from roll formats (like Moist Mates and Roll Wipes) to the modern flat-packaged product, heavily influenced by aggressive marketing strategies like those employed by Dude Wipes. 
  • Wastewater experts, like former NYC Deputy Commissioner Pam Elardo, unequivocally state that flushable wipes are not safe to flush, citing issues like clogs and the formation of massive 'fatbergs,' although industry studies suggest flushable wipes account for less than 2% of material caught in treatment plant screens. 
  • Charleston filed a class action lawsuit seeking injunctive relief rather than compensatory damages, which lowered the burden of proof and led to a quicker settlement with Kimberly Clark. 
  • The settlement required Kimberly Clark to adopt rigorous clean water agency standards and place prominent do-not-flush labels on non-flushable wipes, setting a precedent for other manufacturers. 
  • Kimberly Clark's settlement was strategically beneficial as it proved the rigorous standards were technically workable, making it harder for competitors to fight the ongoing suit, leading to similar settlements across the industry by 2024 and 2025. 

Segments

Salon Announcement and Listener Support
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Search Engine is hosting its first exclusive ‘Finders Salon’ in New York City on March 20th for its highest-tier listeners.
  • Summary: The Finders Salon is described as a small, intimate discussion event featuring cheese and wine, distinct from a typical live show. Listeners who are or become ‘Finders’ by February 14th will receive an invitation via email. Becoming a Finder requires signing up at searchengine.show and selecting the Finder tier.
Introduction to Flushable Wipes Question
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(00:04:08)
  • Key Takeaway: The central question of the episode, posed by listener Egan, is whether to trust product packaging claiming wipes are flushable or widespread internet advice against flushing them.
  • Summary: Egan, a mechanical engineer, suspects the ‘flushable’ claim might only be true in a lab setting, not in real sewage systems, highlighting a conflict between marketing and engineering reality. The host notes that the question touches upon rules, interpretation, and corporate fairness. The host promises a definitive answer after researching the product’s origins.
History of Toilet Hygiene
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(00:08:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Modern toilet paper is a relatively recent invention in the long history of posterior hygiene, which previously involved materials like Roman sponges with vinegar or Greek pottery shards.
  • Summary: Toilet paper first entered the public record in China around 600 AD, centuries after paper was invented, and was initially looked down upon by other cultures using water or sticks with cloth. In the West, printed materials like the Farmer’s Almanac served as toilet paper, often featuring a hole for nailing it up in an outhouse.
Invention of Flushable Wipes
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(00:11:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Flushable wipes emerged in the mid-1990s as a response to the growing use of non-flushable, plastic-based baby wipes by adults.
  • Summary: The precursor to the modern flushable wipe was ‘Moist Mates,’ launched in 1996, which looked like wet toilet paper on a roll and came with a plastic dispenser vault. Kimberly Clark attempted a similar product called Roll Wipes in 2001, but both roll formats failed commercially, leading to the modern flat-packaged wipe design around 2005.
Rise of Flushable Wipes Marketing
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(00:17:50)
  • Key Takeaway: The mass adoption of flushable wipes was driven by marketing that framed them as necessary for superior cleanliness and the launch of male-focused brands like Dude Wipes.
  • Summary: Celebrity endorsements, such as Terrence Howard’s and Will I Am’s, helped normalize the product, with Dude Wipes succeeding by specifically targeting men with loud branding starting in 2011. The COVID-19 toilet paper shortage further forced many consumers to try flushable wipes as an alternative, significantly boosting the market.
Wastewater System Mechanics and Expert Opinion
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(00:31:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Wastewater travels through local lines to trunk lines leading to treatment plants where solids are separated from liquids, and experts like Pam Elardo state unequivocally that flushable wipes should not be flushed.
  • Summary: The collection system involves thousands of miles of pipes directing sewage to treatment facilities where preliminary treatment uses bar screens to remove non-biodegradable items. Pam Elardo, a wastewater expert, confirmed that flushable wipes are not safe to flush, emphasizing that anything not originating from the human body should not enter the toilet.
The Fatberg Threat
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(00:38:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Flushable wipes contribute to ‘fatbergs’—massive, concrete-like blockages formed when fats, oils, and greases congeal around non-biodegradable items like wipes in sewer systems.
  • Summary: A notorious 130-ton fatberg in London’s sewers, which took nine weeks to clear, was cited as an example of this disgusting consequence. Wastewater officials note that wipes are often the base ingredient that helps these massive clogs form, costing municipalities millions annually.
Evidence from Treatment Plant Screens
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(00:41:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Visual inspection of bar screens at a NYC treatment plant revealed that the vast majority of debris pulled out consisted of wet wipes, costing the system approximately $20 million annually.
  • Summary: A graph shared by Pam Elardo showed a direct correlation between the rise in flushable wipe sales and the increase in monthly screenings (clogs) at treatment facilities. This visual evidence supports the argument that wipes, regardless of marketing, are causing blockages upstream.
Legal Battles: Prosecution vs. Defense
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(00:48:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The wipes industry argues that forensic studies show identifiable flushable wipes constitute less than 2% of material caught in screens, shifting blame to non-flushable items like baby wipes and paper towels.
  • Summary: Wyoming, Minnesota’s 2015 lawsuit for compensatory damages failed because proving specific wipe causation was too difficult, a win for the industry. Charleston’s 2021 lawsuit sought injunctive relief (to make them stop deceptive claims), which has a lower burden of proof, leading Kimberly Clark to settle by agreeing to adopt more rigorous standards.
Charleston Legal Strategy Shift
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(00:56:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Charleston sued for injunctive relief, lowering the burden of proof compared to Wyoming/Minnesota’s compensatory damages claim.
  • Summary: Charleston filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of municipal wastewater authorities, choosing to sue for injunctive relief, which asks the court to stop manufacturers’ deceptive claims rather than seeking payment for past damages. This legal approach required proving the flushability claims were deceptive and harmful to the public interest, a lower hurdle than forensically proving specific damage caused by individual wipes. This strategy led to a settlement with Kimberly Clark just three months after filing.
Kimberly Clark Settlement Terms
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(00:57:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The settlement mandated adopting rigorous clean water standards and prominent do-not-flush labeling for non-flushable wipes.
  • Summary: Kimberly Clark agreed to adopt more rigorous standards developed by clean water agencies for their flushable products. Furthermore, they committed to placing much more prominent do-not-flush labels on all non-flushable wipes, both on the package front and at the point of extraction. This outcome resulted in non-flushable wipes being better labeled while flushable wipes became more flushable.
Settlement’s Competitive Impact
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(00:58:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Settling allowed Kimberly Clark to establish technical feasibility of rigorous standards, disadvantaging competitors in the ongoing suit.
  • Summary: The settlement was a brilliant move for Kimberly Clark because they were already closer to meeting the rigorous standards due to proprietary technology. By settling, Kimberly Clark proved that the demanding standards were technically workable, making it harder for competitors to argue against the feasibility of the requirements in court. Competitors attempted to appeal the settlement as prejudicial, but the judge allowed it to stand.
Industry-Wide Resolution
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(00:59:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Following Kimberly Clark, all other major players reached similar settlements with Charleston by 2024 and 2025.
  • Summary: Dude Wipes faced a separate suit after the Kimberly Clark settlement, and by 2024 and 2025, all other major players reached settlements with terms mirroring the initial agreement. This means that by mid-2026, flushable wipes marketed as such should be safer to flush according to clean water agency standards. Crucially, non-flushable wipes will carry a clear do-not-flush label across the industry.
Show Credits and Call to Action
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(01:00:45)
  • Key Takeaway: The resolution demonstrates that complex national problems can eventually be solved through legal compromise.
  • Summary: The episode concludes by noting that despite cynicism, the legal process eventually led to a good compromise regarding product labeling and standards. Senior Producer Garrett Graham hopes listeners will stop flushing items like baby wipes or paper towels to prevent fatbergs. The show credits the production team and encourages listeners to support the show via incognito mode for ad-free content.