The Flushable Bag ®

Howell KDS L.L.C.

The Flushable Bag went to market in 2000 after many months of research. My wife said that if the bags could be flushed we would really have something. The feedback was that it would not work and could not be done. After a lot of dog walking and some unpleasant experiences we were successful. Skeptics may be surprised to learn that the bags do indeed work. 

Will They Work

Paul Nehm Director of Operations and Maintenance Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District in reference to The Flushable Bag to George Dreckmann City of Madison WI. Recycling Coordinator.

Mr. Dreckmann,

We recently were contacted by Mr. Robert Howell about a potential use of a polyvinyl alcohol film.  Mr. Howell is investigating use of the film to manufacture bags which dog owners could use to collect dog feces.  The bag with its contents could be placed in a toilet and flushed after 60 seconds. We reviewed literature and performed a couple of tests to determine if use of the film would adversely affect our operation.  We first performed a simple visual test to verify that the film would dissolve in water after about 60 seconds.  Although the film disassociated upon stirring the sample, it did not completely disappear.  Some very small segments of film remained. I do not, however, expect that this will cause any problems in the sanitary sewer system. We also performed a biochemical oxygen demand test to determine if the dissolved film solution was biodegradable and if it showed any signs of toxicity.  The material was degradable and toxicity was not seen.  Lastly, we reviewed the Material Safety Data Sheet that Mr. Howell had provided and looked at other literature that was available to us.  There was no indication that this material would have a detrimental effect on our system.  Therefore, we think that the use of polyvinyl alcohol bags to collect dog feces with the subsequent disposal of the bags in toilets would be acceptable.  Users should be aware that they need to allow the bags to remain in the toilet for at least 60 seconds before flushing.  They should also use common sense in determining how many bags to place in a toilet at one time.  If plugging problems would occur due to an overload, they would occur in the homeowner's toilet or piping.  Please contact me if you have any questions. 

email sent July of 2000 

Why

Pet owners often deal with their pet’s waste by hiding it in the trash or dumping it in storm sewers. People who followed city guidelines for disposal by using the toilet had to deal with the dirty bags. This product will encourage  pet owners to  conveniently and properly dispose of pet waste.

---

 Biodegradable

The Flushable Bag is both biodegradable and flushable.

The word Biodegradable does not mean flushable.  Some biodegradable products can take years to degrade not hours or days like the flushable bag.

---

 What is it?

The Flushable Bag is made from Polyvinyl Alcohol Film (PVOH).  PVOH feels and has most of the properties of a plastic bag. Two big differences are, the bags are water soluble and fully biodegradable. This is a new use for PVOH film that has been used for several years in commercial applications, and in health care.

 

---

How does it work?

The recommend one minute soak time  in the toilet does not dissolve the bag it only starts the process for better flush ability. The bag dissolves in the sewer lines and at the treatment facility.

 

---

FAQ

Will it work in wet grass? Yes.   Does it dissolve in the toilet? No, it only softens for flushing it breaks down in the sewer system and is consumed by the microorganisms there.  Can I pick up a lose movement? Probably the bag is tough, but you may need to double bag.  Will it clog my toilet?  If used properly and not over loaded it should not.