Kimberly-Clark Moves to Settle ‘Flushable’ Wipes Suit
- Agreement would resolve a case with Charleston’s water system
- Municipalities say wipes contribute to blockages, fatbergs
Kimberly-Clark Corp. Cottonelle brand flushable wipes.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergKimberly-Clark Corp. has reached a settlement over its so-called “flushable” wipes that will include better labeling, manufacturing improvements and two years of testing -- a win for U.S. cities and counties that say the products have sparked a rise in costly sewer blockages.
As part of the proposed settlement with the water management system of Charleston, South Carolina, the maker of Scott toilet paper has agreed that its Cottonelle wipes labeled as “flushable” will meet the wastewater industry’s standards by May 2022. The lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark and other wipes manufacturers and retailers accuses the companies of selling “flushable” products that fail to disintegrate like toilet paper.