2022 was a breakout year for the Responsible Flushing Alliance. We launched the Flush Smart campaign, rolled out the “Do Not Flush” symbol and public awareness campaign in partnership with industry leaders, and declared July 1 as “Flush Smart Day” in California. While we spent many hours together fighting off Clog Monsters and fatbergs, our favorite moment had to be seeing all our wastewater friends celebrate #FlushSmart Day!

This year was a huge success – and we’re already preparing for a bigger and better 2023. But before we turn the page and enter a new year, let’s take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve done together to fight clogs, protect our environment and make households #FlushSmart.

Favorite Memory: Flush Smart Day

With the “Do Not Flush” symbol finally debuted, it only made sense for us to recognize #FlushSmartDay! We worked with the Wet Wipes Labelling Law’s chief sponsor California State Representative Richard Bloom to enact an official Flush Smart Day resolution, making this important observance a permanent fixture in California. We even got a feature on KCRA 3 News!

Most importantly, we got to celebrate with all our wastewater friends worldwide! Nearly 50 partners spread the word, sharing their best #FlushSmart habits. Once again, we’d like to thank all of you who participated this past summer and want to remind all our readers to practice good flushing habits all year long.

The “Do Not Flush” Symbol Goes Live

Take a quick glance at your favorite make-up wipes, baby wipes, or other non-flushable wipes packages and you’ll likely see the “Do Not Flush” symbol placed prominently on the packaging. This symbol is an easy way to tell if a product belongs in the toilet or a trashcan, but it wasn’t always present on packaging. As of July 1^st, 2022, the “Do Not Flush” symbol began appearing on wipes packaging in compliance with the Wet Wipes Labelling Law passed in 2021. This law made it a requirement for wipes manufacturers to clearly mark non-flushable, single-use wipes with the symbol in order to protect our homes and infrastructure from costly clogs.

The Responsible Flushing Alliance then took it upon ourselves to make sure consumers became aware of the symbol and their part in protecting our environment. That’s why we officially launched our Flush Smart campaign to spread the word all about this instructive and essential symbol.

Even cooler, we want to help parents spread the word and teach their kids about responsible flushing habits. We even developed educational materials to be shared at home, at work, and in the media. Today, you can use our activity books, educational resources, and infographics to learn all about practicing responsible flushing habits.  See for yourself!

Clog Monster Rewind

You may have noticed a creepy little gremlin poking around our social accounts. Well, that ball of fats, oils, grease and other non-flushable is none other than the Clog Monster! He resides deep in your community sewage systems, waiting to gobble on items that should never be flushed. One too many non-flushable objects – such as wipes NOT specifically designed to be flushed— and he’ll grow to point where pumps stall, pipes explode and sewage spills into your home or our environment! The result is a costly clogged toilet in your home and costly repairs.

The Clog Monster may be a scary sight to see in your home, but our Twitter and Facebook followers also recognize him online. Despite his lurking, we’ve grown to over 600 followers on Twitter and reached 658,000+ fantastic flushers on Facebook. In case you missed it, here’s a few of the Clog Monster’s biggest hits:

Wrap Up

2022 was a landmark year for the Responsible Flushing Alliance. Our accomplishments would not have been possible without our board members and founding President, Lara Wyss. Have a restful holiday season and stay tuned for more clog fighting content in the new year!

– Responsible Flushing Alliance Staff