COASTWATCH IRELAND HAS has suggested that the government introduce an environmental tax on wet wipes, which are responsible for a significant number of blockages in sewer systems.

“The government is running campaigns about wet wipes to tell people not to flush them; but they need to hit people now,” Karin Dubsky, director of the environmental NGO, told the TheJournal.ie. 

Last year, Irish Water cleared more than 6,000 sewer blockages around the country which were caused by inappropriate items being flushed down the toilet.

Wet wipes have been identified by Water UK as causing 93% of blockages in UK sewers, and a key element of the notorious fatbergs that often create giant obstacles underground.

The government last year stated that it had no plans for an outright ban on wet wipes but the European Commission has listed the products among the single-use plastics that will come under specific rules. Among the rules are that manufacturers of wet wipes will be required to help cover the cost of clean-up and that labels should clearly state how they should be disposed of. 

So today we’re asking: Would you support an environmental tax on wet wipes?