To coincide with Earth Day 2024, the UK Government has announced a ban on wet wipes containing plastic, to be introduced via secondary legislation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Defra plans to bring a ban on the supply and sale of these products into force for England by July, with legislation for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales slated for the autumn. However, there will be an 18-month transition period from when legislation is passed to allow businesses time to prepare, and, says the Government, ‘Following consultation with industry, the ban will not include the manufacture of these products’.

The legislation will also set out exemptions ‘to ensure that wet wipes containing plastic remain available where there is no viable alternative – such as for medical disinfectant purposes’, and these exemptions will be ‘regularly reviewed’.

The move follows a 2021 call for evidence on ‘problematic plastics’ by the Government, which says the response to a public consultation ‘showed overwhelming support’ for the ban, with 95% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposals.

“Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting our waterways and causing microplastics to enter the environment,” said Environment Secretary Steve Barclay. “Defra will introduce legislation before the summer recess to crack down on this unnecessary source of pollution, following our successful single-use carrier bag charge and ban on microbeads in personal care products.”

Commenting on the move, chief policy of the British Beauty Council, Victoria Brownlie, says: “With innovation where it is today, there is simply no excuse for wet wipes containing plastic to still be necessary. The beauty industry has been ahead of the curve in this regard, with many brands and retailers phasing out their use in favour of plastic-free alternatives some time ago.

“Regulation is, however, necessary to ensure everyone is operating in this way. We hope this is just the beginning of Government action to support the transition away from plastic use. In the meantime, the council will continue working under the remit of its Sustainable Beauty Coalition to collaborate and innovate as an industry for a sustainable future.”