Wet wipes containing plastic in Wales and across the UK to be banned
The move is being made to reduce the use of single-use plastics, and to help marine life
Last updated 22nd Apr 2024
Wet wipes in Wales and across the four nations of the UK containing plastic will be banned to reduce marine litter.
The supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic will be banned following overwhelming support during public consultation, with 95% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposals.
Measures have been set out in a joint response by all four UK nations published today (22 April), including a transition period for businesses to help them prepare.
Here in Wales, it's all a part of the Circular Economy Strategy - which was first published in 2021.
Under this strategy, the goal is to achieve 'zero waste by 2050' - achieved, in part, through the phasing-out of single plastic products, such as wet wipes, however, the longer term objective also focuses on phasing-out single use products in more general terms.
A consultation was launched in 2020 in Wales - in which more than 85 per cent of respondents were 'in favour' of moved to reduce single-use plastics.
It was also revealed in the consultation that 'respondents also urged the Welsh Government to go further with some additional 60 products suggested for further action'.
Following this report, the Welsh Government imposed the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Act in 2023 - which is already starting to be rolled out.
The Scottish Government said the ban continues its history of cutting down on plastic litter, including introducing a charge for carrier bags in 2014, the ban on plastic-stemmed cotton buds in 2019, and a ban on a single-use plastic food items in 2022.
Scottish ministers will introduce regulations by the end of 2024 with the ban due to come into force 18 months later, although several shops have stopped selling them.
Wet wipes containing plastic do not biodegrade and persist for many years, harming wildlife and the environment, and are a source of microplastic pollution.
From 2015 to 2020, an average of 20 wet wipes were found per 100m of beach surveyed across the UK according to Defra Beach Litter Monitoring Data.
In Scotland, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater said: "I am delighted to confirm today that the Scottish Government will ban wet wipes containing plastic.
"These items are a problematic source of marine litter and are a threat to the health of our environment and wildlife.
"This ban delivers on an important commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and builds on previous actions to ban unnecessary single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plastic straws and cutlery.
"These policies are all proof of the progress Scotland is making toward protecting our environment, and all contribute to our journey toward a circular economy."
Back in Wales, and alongside wet wipes, separate legislation is also being taken to ban the supply of single-use vapes.
It comes as more than 360 million such vapes are bought each year in the UK, with valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper regularly being binned that could instead be powering nearly 5,000 electric vehicles.
The hope is to bring this ban in across Wales on 1 April 2025 - and is set to be aligned with similar bans in England and Scotland.
Huw Irranca-Davies MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, said: "A UK wide approach has been agreed to introduce regulations to prohibit the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic to be delivered by each individual Government. Adopting this approach will ensure consistency in how our regulations are implemented and will help provide businesses and manufacturers with a clear understanding of what is required of them.
"Between 14 October and 25 November 2023, we jointly consulted with the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on the proposed ban of the manufacture, supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic. A total of 1461 responses were received, 104 from Wales.
"The four nation Government Response has now been published, it sets out the consultation outcomes and the measures the four governments will now take forward. This includes an agreement to:
• A ban on the supply of wet wipes containing plastic. We have listened to stakeholders and acknowledge the size of the manufacturing industry in the UK. Therefore, we decided to introduce a ban on the supply of these wipes, in line with scope of the first phase of bans brought under the Act. This is intended to mitigate the economic impact of the ban and reduce the possibility of job losses in the industry.
• An 18-month transition period will be provided to enable manufacturers to shift production to alternative materials and to reduce the risk that remaining stocks would be sent to landfill or incinerated.
• To provide an exemption for the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic for industrial and medical purposes. This follows consultation feedback which highlighted that for some uses, plastic free alternatives are either unsuitable or unavailable. The full details of these exemptions will be included in the regulations, however it will allow for businesses such as hospitals and food production sites to buy wet wipes containing plastic from other businesses, such as wholesalers. For those who receive or require medical care in their own home, the exemption will allow for supply and sale by registered pharmacies. Wet wipes containing plastic will not be permitted for sale on the shelves and customers who require these products for medical purposes will need to specifically ask the pharmacist for these. This is a similar model to that implemented for the plastic straws ban.
"It is our intention for the ban on wet wipes containing plastic to come into force by June 2026.
"I am committed to supporting action to reduce waste and maximise resourcing efficiency by following the principles of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This includes moving away from a take, make, waste model and towards a circular economy."