Canada's Competition Bureau Inquiry Underway On 'Flushable' Wipes

Friends of the Earth is pleased with the news that Canada’s Competition Bureau has started an inquiry on alleged false and misleading advertising on 23 so-called “flushable” wipes.

With regard to the Section 9 application filed with the Competition Bureau of Canada by six applicants supported by Friends of the Earth Canada and represented by Ecojustice, we have been informed by the Bureau that “the Commissioner of Competition has commenced an inquiry pursuant to paragraph 10(1)(a) of the Competition Act with respect to alleged false or misleading marketing practices of certain manufacturers and distributors of single-use products”.

“The investigation will likely take months but we believe this inquiry is a significant step forward,” said Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada. “In the meantime, we will be assessing other single use products and their claims of flushability.”

The single-use wipes, which include baby wipes and personal wipes sold under the Cottonelle, Charmin and President’s Choice brands and others, are marketed as “flushable” and safe to be flushed down toilets. But a recent study by Ryerson University’s Urban Water program demonstrated that all the products cited in the application failed to meet internationally recognized criteria for flushability. That means they failed to pass tests for drain line clearance and disintegration.

About Friends of the Earth Canada
Friends of the Earth Canada is the Canadian member of Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest grassroots environmental network campaigning on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues. For more information, visit www.foecanada.org.