The UK government has announced legislation to ban wet wipes containing plastic, in a multi-step initiative starting before the summer. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will introduce legislation in England before the summer holidays, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales planning to follow suit by the autumn, as part of a co-ordinated approach to bringing the ban into force. ing.
Studies have shown that wet wipes containing plastic break down into microplastics over time, which can be harmful to human health and disrupt ecosystems. Recent research shows that an average of 20 wet wipes were found for every 100 meters of coastline surveyed across the UK. When wet wipes containing plastic enter the aquatic environment, biological and chemical contaminants can accumulate, increasing the risk of harm to animals and humans who encounter them.
Lawmakers believe that banning wipes containing plastic would reduce plastic and microplastic pollution, reducing the amount of microplastics that enter wastewater treatment plants when accidentally flushed away. That means our beaches and waterways will benefit from the ban.
Responses to the public consultation showed overwhelming support for the proposed ban to be introduced by secondary legislation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, with 95% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposal.
“Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting waterways and causing microplastics to enter the environment. Defra follows the successful introduction of a charge for single-use carrier bags and a ban on personal microbeads. “We will introduce legislation before the summer holidays to crack down on this unnecessary source of pollution,” says Environment Secretary Steve Barclay. “It was clear that step change was needed to protect our waterways from pollution. This ban is an important step forward in protecting our waterways from pollution, including accelerating investment and shifting water company fines back to the environment. It builds on the many steps already in place to protect and hold water companies accountable,” and quadruple the number of on-site inspections of water companies. ”
EDANA, the nonwovens industry's main global trade association and representative of many of the UK's major wet tissue manufacturers, supports this legislation.
“Reducing plastic in the environment is a hugely important goal and we need to ensure that parents, carers, businesses and the NHS continue to take advantage of the valuable functions wet wipes offer in terms of hygiene and anti-viral properties. “We need to achieve this at the same time as we enable people to do more.” In a prepared statement, the association said: “Post-COVID-19, we will support care, childcare and industrial processes.” “We need to do so in a way that also meets our environmental objectives, while avoiding unnecessary manufacturing job losses in UK communities.” This can lead to a loss of investment, competitiveness and innovation.
In recent years, the UK wet wipes industry has made significant progress in reducing the amount of plastic in consumer wipes, with over half of consumer wet wipes currently on the UK market already containing plastic. not. Her four governments in the UK have taken a considered approach and the proposals put forward will build on these efforts. We look forward to working with the four governments on the implementation and next steps of plastic-free consumer wipes in the UK. In the meantime, we are confident that this proposal will enable the continued use of the important functionality provided by wet wipes and allow the industry to innovate without unnecessary job losses or investment into the UK market. We welcome the fact that we will be able to continue operating.
Building on the key steps already taken towards this, EDANA member companies operating in the UK are committed to complying with new government regulations and delivering plastic-free consumer wipes in line with the proposed timetable. We are moving forward to provide this service. ”
In the past 18 months, several UK retailers, including Boots and Aldi, have banned the sale of wipes containing plastic in their stores.
“Removing plastic from Aldi's wet wipes two years ago was a win for customers and the environment,” says Luke Emery, Aldi's plastics and packaging director. “This will remove an estimated 7,000 tonnes of unnecessary plastic from the system and is welcomed by Aldi shoppers. We support the introduction of this new legislation and the positive impact it will have for everyone. .”
The passage of the bill will begin an 18-month transition period to give businesses time to prepare. Following consultation with industry, the ban, like other recent single-use plastic bans, will not include the manufacture of these products.
However, the Government will continue to encourage manufacturers to move towards making all wet wipes plastic-free.
The government's response also includes exemptions to ensure that wet wipes containing plastic can continue to be used in cases where there is no viable alternative, such as for medical disinfection purposes. The Government will regularly review the need for these exemptions.
Major wipes manufacturers are already focused on limiting the use of plastic in their products. Last year, Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena brand partnered with Lenzing's Veocel fiber brand to transition its makeup remover wipes to 100% plant-based fibers. The wipes now feature his Veocel-branded fibers, which are made from renewable wood sourced from sustainably managed and certified forests. It can be composted at home within 35 days, eliminating waste that ends up in landfills.
