By DIVE Staff
The UK Government announced on Earth Day, 2024 (22 April) that it will introduce legislation later in the year to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic, in what will be a major boost for the health of British waterways.
The Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay, said that the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) intends to bring forward the legislation for England ahead of Parliament’s summer recess, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales set to follow in the autumn.
Wet wipes containing plastic break down into microplastics over time, which is harmful to aquatic life – and, subsequently, human health. As most of them are flushed down toilets into the sewage system, they also contribute significantly to the formation of ‘fatbergs’, in which solidified cooking oil coagulates into masses that block drains and sewers.
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The Marine Conservation Society’s 2023 State of Our Beaches report details how more than 21,000 wet wipes were recorded on Britain’s beaches during clean-up events. The Government’s own report found that an average of 20 wet wipes were present per every 100 metres of beach surveyed across the UK.
Responses to the public consultation showed overwhelming support for the proposed ban, with 95 per cent of respondents either agreeing or ‘strongly agreeing’ with the proposals. The government’s response to the consultation can be found on the Gov.uk website.
‘Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting our waterways and causing microplastics to enter the environment,’ said Mr Barclay, announcing the ban. ‘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.
‘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.’
Plastic-free wet wipes are readily available and several retailers, including pharmacy chain, Boots, and supermarket chain, Aldi, that have already removed plastic-containing wet wipes from their shelves. The new legislation is expected to come into force by the end of 2024, and manufacturers will be given an 18-month transition period in which to adapt their production lines.
