UK bans sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England

The UK Government has signed into law a ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England.

• Main action: The government has enacted a ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England, with an 18-month transition period and the ban expected to come into force in Spring 2027; businesses will have until then to transition. The legislation targets wet wipes containing plastic only (exemptions such as for some medical uses apply) and a further ban on manufacture will be considered after the supply-and-sale ban takes effect.
• Background and implementation details: UK Water Industry Research reports wet wipes contribute to 94% of sewer blockages, costing £200 million per year to water companies; Defra beach monitoring found an average of 20 wet wipes per 100m of beach (2015–2020). The Welsh Government has already legislated; the Northern Ireland Executive and Scottish Government are expected to legislate by year-end. The Water Minister (Emma Hardy) has written to manufacturers urging labelling that wet wipes should be binned, not flushed.