Consumers are urged to remember the three Ps - poo, pee and [toilet] paper - as loo roll substitutes threaten to overwhelm the UK's sewers amid fear-fuelled panic-buying and product shortages.
When flushed, toilet paper substitutes such as kitchen roll and wet wipes pose a serious risk to the UK's sewage system. If the sewers cease to function correctly, it could lead to serious consequences and more undue stress amid the COVID-19 crisis, experts warn.
Leading supply chain strategy academic Professor Richard Wilding suggests that amid the widespread panic, people are failing to consider the consequences of using products for tasks they were not designed for.
He noted that kitchen roll, industrial paper towel and wipe products are also in high demand - none of which are designed for buttocks and sewers.
"If kitchen towels, baby wipes or industrial papers are used as a replacement for toilet paper, our sewage systems could readily become blocked with the resulting chaos and increased health risks associated with this," Wilding told The Guardian.
"Ultimately, water companies may not have the infrastructure and equipment to unblock the sewer system."
Blockages are gross and expensive
According to the publication, the UK's largest water and wastewater service, Thames Water, is already warning consumers not to contribute to 'fatbergs' - build-ups of fat and non-biodegradable matter.
'Fatbergs' are predominantly caused by cooking fats, such as oil, which thicken and coagulate in the sewers, forming a congealed layer around the pipe. A build-up is caused when sewage can't flow effectively. When products containing plastic mix with the fat and set, fatbergs are formed.
Thomas Water clears roughly 75,000 blockages from its sewage network annually - at a cost of £18 million.
Consumers also need to consider the impacts their panic buying is having on those with genuine needs, Wilding told The Guardian.
For example, people turning to building hardware suppliers for face masks are making it increasingly difficult for builders, tilers and plasterers to ensure their protection against airborne particulate matter.
According to Johns Hopkins University's live global case tracker, the UK currently has the tenth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. As of Tuesday (NZ time), roughly 1550 have been infected with 56 deaths, including one in the Cayman Islands. Twenty-one people have recovered, including one patient in Gibraltar.
