Support Unblocktober with these small changes to save sewers and seas!

This year’s Unbloctober theme is New World, New Habits: encouraging people to make small switches that will help protect our sewers and seas from damage and pollution.

Why do sewers get blocked?

We have a whopping 300,000 sewer blockages each year in the UK, costing around £100m to clear up. Holy poops!

For decades, we’ve been tipping fats such as cooking oil down our drains which, together with items such as wet wipes, tampons and cotton buds, has led to the creation of the monstrous fatbergs that are blocking our sewerage systems. 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, face masks and rubber gloves are adding to the items clogging up our pipes. But it’s estimated that wet wipes are still behind 93% of blockages in UK sewers.

And 48% of the public admit to having flushed wet wipes down the pipes.

What about seas?

Wipes that escape sewer filters have an even greater impact on the planet, ending up in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean.

Flushed wipes containing plastic, break down into microplastics which are then nibbled by fish and wind up entering our food chain.

Although we all have microplastics in our bodies, babies have 15 times more than adults, a new study has found. 

So, what small changes can you make to support Unblocktober and help create a healthier future for our little ones?

Commit to a month 

Just for the month of October, commit to chucking nothing containing plastic down the drains! This includes tampons, condoms, nappies, plastic wet wipes, cotton buds and face masks. Go the extra mile and avoid pouring leftover food items, especially cooking oils and fats, down the sink throughout October - and hopefully your new habits will last beyond this awareness month. 

 Let Lily educate your little ones

Pura’s children’s book Lily And The Wipe Monster features the story of a smart, caring girl who always wants to do the right thing. When Lily learns that her family has been flushing plastic wipes down the loo for years, she embarks on a mission to make things right - with help from a very large and very stinky new friend!

Featuring a fatberg monster made of plastic wipes, the book is funny and light-hearted, with bright and interesting illustrations that appeal to children and babies.

The book educates both children and adults on the problem of flushing any wipes that aren’t certified Fine to Flush by Water UK. You can get a copy by subscribing to Pura today.

 Switch to wipes that are purer

To support Unbloctober, you don’t have to stop flushing wipes, but you do have to become label savvy. There are still many wipes on the market wrongly labelled “Flushable”. These wipes break our sewers, rather than break down when flushed! 

But thanks to a new standard from Water UK, you can be sure that all wipes labelled Fine to Flush are safe for pipes. To achieve this certification, wipes are tested by WRc to ensure they clear the u-bend, avoid snagging, are plastic-free and avoid chemical residues.

We’re proud to say that Pura’s flushable wipes are one of a handful of baby wipe products to have achieved the certification. So if flushing's your thing, make the switch today! 

Help us ban plastic wipes

This one only takes a minute, but could have a huge, lasting impact on the marine plastic pollution. We’re asking the UK government to phase out the sale of all wet wipes by April 2022. Sign our ban here and make a change for their tomorrow, today.

Happy Unbloctober!