There’s a new beauty wipes labeling law in Washington State

By Deanna Utroske

- Last updated on GMT

© Getty Images \ (PARNTAWAN)
© Getty Images \ (PARNTAWAN)

Related tags Wipes Label Regulation

On Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 2565 into State law, updating the labeling guidelines for cosmetic wipes, baby wipes, surfacing cleaning wipes, and other such non-flushables.

“I introduced this legislation in response to concerns voiced by Washington sewer system operators that consumers are flushing certain categories of wipes that are not intended to be,”​ comments Representative Joe Fitzgibbon in a media release about the new law.

Fitzgibbon introduced HB 2565 in mid-January; and, he adds in this week’s remarks to the press: “I was pleased to sponsor legislation that brought together municipalities and industry to find a common sense solution to this problem and am proud that Washington is the first state in the nation to tackle this issue in a meaningful way.”

New labeling required for beauty wipes

The new Washington State law requires that the packaging of non-flushable wipes “carry prominent ‘Do Not Flush’ labeling to help guide consumers to dispose of them appropriately in the trash,” ​explains this week’s media release.

“Baby wipes, cosmetic wipes and other disposable wipes provide tangible benefits to consumers, while hard surface antibacterial and disinfecting wipes are an indispensable tool for household cleaning and reducing exposure to viruses impacting public health as we've seen recently,” acknowledges Dave Rousse, President of the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), the organization that circulated this week’s press release about the new law.

“However,”​ adds, Rousse, “unlike wipes labeled ‘flushable,’ these kinds of wipes were not designed nor marketed to be disposed in the toilet.”

And Rousse, who’s organization was part of a coalition of regional stakeholders that had worked to advance the new law, goes on to “thank Representative Fitzgibbon for his leadership and the Washington cities and wastewater community for their constructive engagement on legislation that will go a long way to ensuring that consumers understand which wipes are 'Do Not Flush' and require disposal in the trash can.”

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When new legislation or regulations impact the cosmetics and personal care industry, Deanna Utroske reports it.​ As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.

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