UK-wide ban on wet wipes containing plastic to be put into law.

The Government will introduce new legislation to ban wet wipes containing plastic, the Environment Secretary has confirmed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) intend to bring forward the legislation for England ahead of summer recess, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales following by the autumn as part of an aligned approach to bring the ban into force.

Wet wipes containing plastic break down into microplastics over time which research shows can be harmful to human health and disrupt our ecosystems – with a recent survey showing an average of 20 wet wipes were found per 100 metres of beach surveyed across the UK*.

Wet wipes containing plastic can accumulate biological and chemical pollutants increasing the risk of harm to the animals and humans who encounter them.

Responses to a public consultation showed overwhelming support for the proposed ban – which will be introduced via secondary legislation under our Environmental Protection Act 1990 – with 95 per cent of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposals. The Government’s response has been published today alongside the Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Commenting Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, said: “Wet wipes contribute to around 94 per cent of sewer blockages. This can lead to damage to properties and sewage-related litter entering the environment.

“Banning wet wipes containing plastic will reduce plastic pollution and reduce the volume of plastics entering wastewater treatment sites. This means our waterways will benefit from the ban.

“I look forward to learning more about the legislation which I hope will add another layer of protection to our waterways. It will follow the significant investment we are seeing from Yorkshire Water, such as their £19 million project in Killinghall, and what I hope to be a successful outcome to the Bathing Water Status bid for the River Nidd at the Lido in Knaresborough which I have led alongside the Nidd Action Group.”

You can learn more about Andrew’s Bathing Water Status bid here and more about Yorkshire Water’s investment in Killinghall here.