A disgusting find is currently occupying the politicians in London: A mountain of wet wipes has accumulated in the Thames. And it grows every day. In Great Britain, however, such “fatbergs” are nothing unusual.

It is a disgusting memorial to the thoughtless lifestyle: a small island is growing on the edge of the Thames in the middle of the English capital London. But it is not made of sand, but of damp toilet towels that the citizens flush down the toilet. It is now as big as two tennis courts, and the trend is rapidly increasing. Now politicians are already dealing with the disgusting island.

At a hearing in the English Parliament, Labor MP Fleur Anderson addressed her colleagues. “I was there and stood on it,” she reported in disgust to the parliamentarians. “It’s near Hammersmith Bridge in the Thames. It’s over a meter tall. And it’s just wet wipes.” The wet lump of paper even affects the current and the course of the river at this point, an environmental group recently found out. “And he’s getting bigger every day,” Anderson warned.

London: Disgusting Island in the Thames

The plastic cloths used for cleaning are becoming an increasing problem in the UK. More than eleven billion are consumed there every year – and then flushed down the toilet. The consequences are also visible away from the disgusting island. The number of wet wipes found on beaches has increased significantly, Anderson reported. In 2005 there were still 1.7 towels on 100 meters of beach, by 2020 this number had increased more than tenfold to 18 towels.

The so-called fat mountains have also increased significantly. The British press repeatedly reports on pipes that are so clogged that meter-long beads of fat, hair and excrement have to be pulled out. One of the main causes of accumulation: the wet wipes containing plastic, which, unlike toilet paper, do not dissolve in water.

A law should regulate it

Anderson has now introduced a bill that would ban the wipes in their current form. At the same time, she understands how to use it. “As a mother of four, I’ve used a lot of wipes myself and I totally understand the pressures parents are under and how useful wipes are,” she said. However, since most of the towels contained plastic, they did not belong in the toilet, despite the fact that they could be flushed down the toilet. However, since people did not follow the instructions to only dispose of the wet wipes in the garbage can, they now see the need for a ban.

Some British brands have already responded, making their towels from bamboo or other plant fibers. If the law were passed, the others would have to follow suit. Voting is scheduled for November 19th.

Sources: Evening Standard, Independent