England will phase out the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic, after the government signed new legislation yesterday designed to tackle a stubborn and costly source of pollution. Ministers say the move will help protect rivers, lakes and coastal habitats while cutting the volume of microplastics entering the environment.
Plastic wet wipes have become a familiar blight. A recent survey by Defra Beach Litter Monitoring Data for the period 2015 to 2020 showed an average of 20 wet wipes littering every 100 metres of beach across the UK, a reminder of how widely these products escape bins and sewage systems. When flushed, the plastics within them break down into microplastics that can harm wildlife and accumulate in the food chain.
“This ban will put an end to plastic wet wipes which choke our sewers, litter our beaches and poison wildlife,” said environment secretary Emma Reynolds. A government consultation found that 95% of respondents backed a plastic wet wipe ban. Retailers have already moved in this direction, with brands such as Boots removing plastic-containing wipes from sale last year.
