The UK Government, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive have all taken the decision to proceed with legislation to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic across the UK.

The ban follows a joint a public consultation which ran for six weeks from October 2023 to November 2023 - responses to the consultation demonstrated overwhelming public support for the proposed ban – with 95% of respondents in favour of it.

It is anticipated that legislation to be in place across the UK by the end of 2024. Each administration will introduce regulations separately via their respective legislative mechanisms. From the point each separate piece of the legislation is passed, there will be an 18-month transition period to allow manufacturers adequate time to transition to producing plastic-free wet wipes.

Responses from the public and from campaign groups expressed a strong preference for the ban to come into force as soon as possible.

Announcing the decision, the Government said that the consultation responses had demonstrated that there is a significant presence of wet wipe manufacturers in the UK. Of the manufacturers who responded to the consultation, 12 had manufacturing facilities in England, 3 in Wales and 3 in Scotland.

On average, manufacturers stated that half of the wet wipes they produce contain plastic. Of manufacturers that provided the proportion of wet wipes they produce for export, responses generally ranged between 20% to 50%.

70% of manufacturers who responded either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposal to ban manufacture, citing unnecessary loss in revenue and jobs. Some manufacturers raised concerns about the investment that will be required to switch production to non-plastic wet wipes only. Their projected cost for transitioning ranged from hundreds of thousands to millions.

The Government says that the transition period should mitigate economic impacts of the ban, including job losses, and prevent excess stocks of wet wipes containing plastic from being incinerated or landfilled.

Plastic-free wet wipes are already on the market - some major retailers have already stopped selling wet wipes containing plastic in their stores. Consumers will be able to continue to purchase plastic-free wet wipes.

Thames21 welcomes Government’s plan to ban plastic in wet wipes

Environmental charity Thames21 has welcomed the Government’s plan to ban plastic in wet wipes, calling it a monumental victory for the health of the River Thames, people and wildlife.

Thames21 CEO Chris Coode said:

“This significant news is a testament to the power of collective action and the unwavering dedication of our volunteers, team and partners. This victory is a crucial step towards protecting the health of the River Thames and its wildlife, as it will help to stop the introduction of microplastics into the environment. However, we realise that it is not the panacea and there is more work to be done.

“Manufacturers now need to create plastic-free alternatives.

“Water companies must invest further in our sewage infrastructure so that it relies less on sewage overflows and install more screens to prevent wet wipes entering the environment;

“Consumers need to dispose of their non-plastic-based wet wipes correctly; bin it don’t flush it!

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us in this journey – your contributions have been instrumental in achieving this landmark success.”

Since 2017, Thames21 has partnered up with citizen scientists, the Port of London Authority (PLA) and Tideway, the company building London’s super sewer, via its Thames River Watch programme to run its Big Wet Wipe Count event and gather crucial people-powered data on the wet wipes settling at sampling locations along the Thames to monitor the impact of plastic on the capital’s river and lobby for change.

John Sage, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Tideway, said:

“The Thames River Watch programme highlighted the scale of the problem of wet wipes and other plastic pollution in the Thames – and this ban, which follows so much campaigning work by Thames21, is fantastic news for the health of UK waterways.

“The super sewer will prevent wet wipes and other sewage-derived litter from entering the Thames in the first place when it starts its testing phase later this year, which is a further reason for optimism."

Rivers Trust CEO cautions "all wipes are a significant hazard to river systems"

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer at The Rivers Trust commented:

"The long-awaited ban on wet wipes containing plastics has finally made it through the machinery of government. Whilst it's good that we are cutting off one supply of plastic to our environment, all wipes are a significant hazard to river systems, carrying chemical disinfectants and glues as well as potentially disease organisms. Even without plastic, wet wipes can still block sewers and wreak environmental havoc. We call for manufacturers to provide clear labeling on wipes so everyone can take action to make sure that wet wipes are binned not flushed."