The UK government and devolved administrations are set to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic.
The UK government said it expects to pass legislation for a ban on wet wipes containing plastic by the end of 2024. There will be an 18-month transition period from the point legislation is passed.
The UK government and devolved administration will introduce regulations separately via their respective legislative mechanisms. The ban will not include the manufacture of wet wipes containing plastic, in line with other recent single-use plastic bans, following consultation with industry.
The government response also sets out exemptions to ensure that wet wipes containing plastic remain available “where there is no viable alternative”, such as for medical disinfectant purposes.
In October 2023, the UK government, Welsh government, Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive launched a joint consultation on a proposed ban on the manufacture, supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic, which received 1,561 responses.
95% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the proposed ban on wet wipes containing plastic. Over 96% of responses from members of the public and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) either agreed or strongly agreed with the proposed ban.
Defra will introduce legislation before the summer recess to crack down on this unnecessary source of pollution.
The UK government’s response to the consultation said respondents “emphasised the need to reduce pollution and protect the environment and infrastructure”. It continued that respondents said wet wipes containing plastic are an unnecessary source of plastic pollution, particularly in waterways.
Responses from businesses varied, with 60% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the proposed ban. The UK government said some businesses were supportive but highlighted areas for further consideration to make sure that the proposed ban did not have “unintended consequences”.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay commented: “Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting our waterways and causing microplastics to enter the environment. Defra will introduce legislation before the summer recess to crack down on this unnecessary source of pollution, following our successful single-use carrier bag charge and ban on microbeads in personal care products.
“I have been clear that a step change is needed to protect our waterways from pollution. The ban builds on a raft of actions already taken to protect our waterways and hold water companies accountable – including accelerating investment, putting water company fines back into the environment and quadrupling the number of inspections of water company sites.”
Reactions
Responding to the ban, Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea said: “In the UK, we now use over 10.8 billion wet wipes per year – that’s an insane 38,000 wet wipes each over our lifetime. Clogging waterways and leaching microplastics into the environment, wet wipes have become an unwelcome stain on the UK that cannot simply be wiped away.
“It’s a positive step forward to see the government take definitive action on banning this pollutant, but action must not end there. The government should now look to tackle all single-use plastic products through further bans and mandated reuse and refill targets.
“Now it’s wet wipes, next, we’d like to see a cap on – and reduction in – UK plastic production. With an election looming, eyes are on the government to step up the fight on plastics and protect the environment and human health.”
Bans are strong policy measures to tackle items that are avoidable or for which alternatives are readily available.
Charlotte Davies, Managing Director of Common Seas said: “Wet wipes contribute to plastic pollution and microplastics. Bans are strong policy measures to tackle items that are avoidable or for which alternatives are readily available. However, addressing the UK’s plastics problem requires more than sporadic bans on individual items.
“To make a significant impact, we need comprehensive policies that can address a wide range of items and influence product design, consumption, and disposal habits. Policies like Extended Producer Responsibility, promised in the 2019 Conservative manifesto (and recently postponed for the fourth time) hold significant potential for meaningful change.”
Steve Ager, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at Boots, said: “Boots removed all wet wipes containing plastic from sale in stores and online last year as part of our long-standing commitment to sustainability and working with suppliers and customers to reduce the use of plastic.
“We are pleased to see the government now taking action as a ban on all wet wipes containing plastic will have a much bigger impact than retailers taking action alone. We all have a collective responsibility to protect the environment and support a healthy planet.”
Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “The removal of plastic from Aldi wet wipes two years ago has been positive for our customers and the environment.
“It has removed an estimated 7,000 tonnes of unnecessary plastic from the system and has been welcomed by Aldi shoppers. We support the introduction of this new legislation and the positive impact it will have for everyone.”
The four governments in the UK have taken a considered approach and the proposals set out will build on these efforts.
EDANA, the global trade association for the nonwovens industry, which includes wet wipes, welcomed the UK government’s response to the consultation and a potential ban on some types of wet wipes containing plastic.
Gloria Jaconelli, EDANA’s Communication and PR Director, shared the following statement on behalf of the group: “Reducing plastic in the environment is an extremely important goal and this needs to be done whilst also ensuring that parents, carers, businesses, and the NHS can continue to make use of the valuable functions that wet wipes provide regarding hygiene, anti-viral qualities post-Covid-19, helping with care, parenting, and industrial processes.
“Reducing plastic also needs to be done in a way that achieves its environmental objective while avoiding unnecessary UK manufacturing job losses in communities across the UK, which in turn could lead to loss of investment, competitiveness, and innovation.
“The four governments in the UK have taken a considered approach and the proposals set out will build on these efforts. We look forward to working with the four governments on the implementation and next steps for plastic-free consumer wet wipes in the UK.”
