Your World of Legal Intelligence
 United Kingdom | +44 (0) 20 7284 8080

Wet wipes to be banned across the UK because of plastic

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date22 April 2024
Publication titleMyLondon (England)
Measures have been set out in a joint response by all four UK nations published today, including a transition period for businesses to help them prepare. The four nations all launched a consultation on the ban of the products last autumn and today's announcement is a response to that review

The ban will be brought through separately by each of the UK's governments. Wet wipes frequently litter Britain's beaches and eventually break down into microplastics, which contribute to water pollution and damage ecosystems.

Jane Martin, chief executive of environmental organisation City To Sea, said: "It's a positive step forward to see the government take definitive action on banning this pollutant, but action must not end there.

"The government should now look to tackle all single-use plastic products through further bans and mandated reuse and refill targets."

The Welsh Government said its ban would come into force by June 2026. Scotland said it would introduce regulations later this year with the aim of a ban taking effect by the middle of 2026. Steve Barclay said in England the legislation would be fast tracked and shops given an 18-month deadline to comply by the middle of 2026.

The Scottish Government said the ban continues its history of cutting down on plastic litter, including introducing a charge for carrier bags in 2014, the ban on plastic-stemmed cotton buds in 2019, and a ban on a single-use plastic food items in 2022.

Scottish ministers will introduce regulations by the end of 2024 with the ban due to come into force 18 months later, although several shops have stopped selling them. Wet wipes containing plastic do not...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT