The government are planning to introduce a wet wipes ban - but what does it mean for those who buy them, and which wet wipes are plastic free?
Anyone who looks after babies and small children will know that wet wipes are one of those products that are essential to have on hand at all times. But what you might not know about them is that they're a major cause of sewer blockages. Most wipes are made from plastic, which doesn't break down, and while there are a few products out there that carry the 'Fine to Flush' certification mark, the majority are extremely damaging to the environment.
For parents, there's a lot of consumer advice out there about what products you should a shouldn't be buying, and that's on top of product recalls such as the John Lewis Winnie the Pooh sleeping bags and one of Fisher-Price's sleep aids. That's why, with a wet wipe ban on horizon, we've put together this guide on everything to know about the ban, as well as a helpful list of the best plastic free wet wipes.
Are wet wipes being banned?
Wet wipes that contain plastic could be banned as part of government plans to tackle water pollution. Environment minister Therese Coffey told BBC News the ban could come into place in the next year, following a public consultation.
The ban will only apply in England, however. In Wales a proposed ban on plastic wet wipes is yet to be implemented, while in Scotland a consultation on a ban that was published in 2021 has not been taken further.
Wet wipes are one of the main causes of fatbergs that block sewers. Sewers get blocked 300,000 times every year and cause properties to flood. Put wipes in the bin instead of flushing them down the toilet. Protect your home: https://t.co/B9P8MW5cOC #BinTheWipe pic.twitter.com/03FiFvLB7CMarch 26, 2023
News of the ban came in the government's Plan for Water published on Monday 3 April, and they added that they will work with the industry to make sure environmentally friendly alternatives are available.
In addition, some major retailers across the UK have already vowed to stop selling plastic wet wipes. Boots has reformulated its own wipes to remove plastic in favour of plant-based biodegradable alternatives, and Tesco scrapped sales of branded baby wipes containing plastic in March last year.
Why are plastic wet wipes being banned?
The government want to ban plastic wet wipes as part of a broader strategy to improve England's water quality. According to Water UK, wet wipes flushed down toilets cause 93% of sewer blockages - including so-called fatbergs - and cost around £100m a year to clear up.
This is because the plastics don't break down, and over time the wipes stick together and prevent sewage from moving through pipes. Although there are now plastic-free alternatives available to buy, in 2021 around 90% of wipes contained plastic.
However, this is not the first time the government has proposed a ban on plastic wet wipes - in fact, it's the third ban on wet wipes announced in the last five years.
The Liberal Democrat Party's environment spokesperson Tim Farron has criticised the proposal, saying, "Yet again the Conservative government is taking the public for fools by re-announcing a wet wipe policy from five years ago. This is a complete farce."
Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon said: "This announcement is nothing more than a shuffling of the deck chairs and a reheating of old, failed measures that simply give the green light for sewage dumping to continue for decades to come."
Which wet wipes are plastic free? The best biodegradable options
Which wet wipes contain plastic?
It's not always easy to work out which wet wipes contain plastic and which don't. To make sure the wipes you're buying are plastic free, check to see if they are advertised as 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' on the packaging.
You can also look for certifications from organisations such as TuV Austria, which verifies that products are biodegradable.
Around 90% of UK wet wipes contain plastic, so the best way to check you're purchasing an environmentally friendly option is to buy wipes that clearly label themselves as 'plastic free' on the packaging.
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