Plastic wet wipes set to be banned across England

Wet wipes containing plastic are set to be banned across England in a bid to tackle water pollution.

Environment Minister, Therese Coffey told BBC News a ban on plastic-based wipes should come into force in the next year, following a consultation. The move comes as part of wider plans to improve water quality in England, where no river or waterway is considered clean.

Those who pollute could also see tougher enforcement. But the plans came under criticism from opposition MPs and environmental groups accusing the government of reheating failed measures ‘that give the green light to sewage dumping’.

Ms Coffey told BBC News: “Our proposal is to ban plastic from wet wipes. She added that a short consultation needed to take place first, saying: “It’s a legal requirement to make sure that we can go ahead with any ban.”

Wet wipes flushed down toilets cause 93% of sewer blockages including so-called fatbergs and cost around £100m a year to clear up, according to Water UK which represents the water industry.

Around 90% of wipes contained plastic in 2021, although there are now some alternatives available to buy. The plastics do not break down and over time the wipes become snagged and stick together, causing sewage to stop moving through pipes.

While there are some biodegradable options now available on shop shelves, most products contain plastics which do not break down — causing them to clog up pipes over time. Some companies, including Boots and Tesco, have already stopped the sale of wet wipes which contain plastic from their stores.

In its Plan for Water published on Monday night, the government said it wants to ban the plastic containing wipes subject to a public consultation, and will work with industry to make sure environmentally friendly alternatives are available.

The government announced on Sunday that water companies could face unlimited fines for releasing untreated sewage into rivers and seas without good reason. Figures show an average of 825 sewage spills per day into England’s waterways in the last year. According to the Environment Agency (EA), new figures showed water companies took no action to reduce pollution despite discharges falling by 19% in 2022.

But environmental charity River Action UK said the government had been ‘asleep at the wheel’ for many years and had allowed rivers to ‘fill up with untreated human effluent and toxic agricultural pollution’. Water companies, who spend millions of pounds clearing up blockages caused by wet wipes, are in favour of a ban.

Responding to the Plan for Water 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.

“This is the third sham of a Tory water plan since the summer. There’s nothing in it that tells us how, if or when they will end the Tory sewage scandal.”

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “After years of burying their heads, ministers have finally surfaced to tackle the scourge of sewage and pollution in our waterways and along our coasts.It’s clear the Conservatives can also smell a local election in the air and are only acting in response to public pressure.

“The actions are too little too late, and still leave the water industry in private hands able to profit from failure.”