Flush Smart Month: Understanding Responsible Flushing Habits

Flush Smart Month: Understanding Responsible Flushing Habits

Each July, the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) highlights the importance of safe flushing practices through its annual celebration of Flush Smart Month. As a proud contributing member of the RFA, Sellars supports efforts to maintain healthy homes and communities and to reduce unnecessary damage and repairs to sewage systems. This month, Sellars is helping consumers Flush Smart by educating on flushable versus non-flushable products.

What Can be Flushedflush-smart-month-toilet.jpg

All toilet paper is flushable, but not all wipes are. When deciding between the bowl or the bin, look for the “Fine to Flush” or “Do Not Flush” symbol on wipes. Flushable items are designed to break down in water, allowing them to pass safely through plumbing and into the sewer system. Smart flushing helps protect homes, communities and the environment.

What Can’t be Flushed

When it comes to flushing, a simple rule of thumb is when in doubt, throw it out. Research shows that 98% of clogs at wastewater treatment plants are caused by non-flushable items like feminine hygiene products, non-flushable wipes, paper hand towels, facial tissue, cotton swabs, medication, dental floss, teethFlush Smart Month Throw Away in Toilet whitening strips, incontinence products and trash.  These products are designed to be highly absorbent and water resistant, making them harmful to plumbing and sewer systems.

Research from the RFA as well as the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) examined what is being flushed and causing clogs. This study found that 64% of clogging materials were non-flushable items such as paper towels and feminine hygiene products, while 34% were wipes clearly labeled with “Do Not Flush”. Only 0.9% of items were actually designed to be flushable.

How Sellars Supports Smart Flushingflush-smart-month-july-image-clean-task.jpg

Outside of our toilet paper products, all Sellars products, including wipers, wet wipes, paper towels, absorbents and rags are designed for durability and should always be disposed of in the trash, not the toilet. These items are not intended to break down in water and can contribute to costly plumbing issues and damage to wastewater treatment systems.

Our Clean Task Wet Wipes are labeled with the “Do Not Flush” symbol. This helps educate consumers at the point of use, reducing confusion and promoting smarter flushing habits that protect homes, businesses and the environment. Rolling out in 2026, Sellars will transition to include the “Do Not Flush” symbol on ALL wiper packaging to help educate end-users on smarter flushing habits.

Jul 28th 2025 Sellars

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