New research has found there are few "flushable wipes" on the market that actually live up to that claim.That has groups calling on the government to create new regulations to stop the problem that's been clogging the pipes for years.

Researchers at Ryerson University recently put 101 single-use wipes to the test. They included baby wipes, make up removers and even 23 products that were specifically labelled "flushable" by the manufacturer. What they discovered was alarming.

"We found 23 of these labelled wipes as flushable did not fall apart at all in our tests," said Barry Orr, study co-author.

While toilet paper will disintegrate in water within seconds, single use wipes will not. That’s creating massive globs plugging up sewer systems, impacting the environment and costing millions of dollars to fix.

"We’re finding that manufacturers are using very strong binders for these products and we're also finding some are made of plastic," said Anum Khan, research assistant, Ryerson University.

It's estimated that municipalities across Canada spend $250 million annually dealing with damage to equipment and plumbing due to flushed wipes.

"But on top of that these can cause sewer backups - so they can cause pepole's basements to flood, they can cause sewage overflows," said Linda Parkinson, program manager, source control at Metro Vancouver.

It's one of the reasons Metro Vancouver launched its Unflushables campaign.

“The campaign focuses on seven items, one of which is wipes," explained Parkinson.

Other items that fall into the “unflushable” category include dental floss, hair, feminine hygiene products, condoms, and used medications.

And don’t be fooled by labels. Even if the packaging on wipes says flushable, Parkinson says they should be thrown out.

“There's no legal definition in Canada for the word flushable so whether these products are labeled flushable or not they belong in the garbage,” she said.

The Ryerson study is also recommending the federal government consider stronger labeling requirements when it comes to the wipes and some environmental groups are even calling for companies to be fined