Sale of plastic wet wipes to be banned in UK

The sale of plastic wet wipes is set to be banned under new laws to be passed this year, the Environment Secretary will announce on Monday.

Steve Barclay will pledge to fast-track legislation through Parliament that will take the polluting products off shop shelves for good.

His move comes following a long-running campaign to put an end to their use because the discarded wipes pose a threat to marine wildlife.

Ministers plan to table the new law in England before the end of July, with similar legislation to be introduced in the rest of the UK by the autumn.

Shops will be given an 18-month grace period to phase out the sale of plastic wipes, meaning the ban will not come into force until mid 2026.

Mr Barclay said: “I have been clear that a step change is needed to protect our waterways from pollution.

“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.”

Race to get legislation through Parliament

The Environment Secretary now faces a race against time to get the legislation through Parliament before an expected autumn election.

Wet wipes eventually break down into microplastics which pollute rivers and the sea and pose a threat to marine life by damaging ecosystems.

They have also become a litter scourge, blighting Britain’s beaches and contributing to sewer blockages known as “fatbergs” when flushed down the lavatory.

Major retailers including Boots, Aldi and Tesco have already removed plastic wet wipes from their stores with other large shops now expected to follow suit.

Tories ‘too weak to ban wipes outright’

The ban is the latest in a series of new laws to phase out the use of single use plastics, which also include things like drinking straws and cutlery.

But unlike previous measures it will not outlaw the production of wet wipes which include plastic, only their sale in shops based in the UK.

Labour said that meant the move does not go far enough and said it would introduce “a full ban on the sale, supply and manufacture of plastic wet wipes”.

Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, said: “Plastic wet wipes clog up our sewers, kill wildlife and lead to sewage backing up into people’s homes.

“The Conservatives have broken their promises to act and are too weak to ban them outright.”