https://www.positive.news/environment/england-to-ban-plastic-wet-wipes/
"England will phase out the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic,
after the government signed new legislation yesterday designed to tackle a
stubborn and costly source of pollution. Ministers say the move will help
protect rivers, lakes and coastal habitats while cutting the volume of
microplastics entering the environment.
Plastic wet wipes have become a familiar blight. A recent survey by Defra Beach
Litter Monitoring Data for the period 2015 to 2020 showed an average of 20 wet
wipes littering every 100 metres of beach across the UK, a reminder of how
widely these products escape bins and sewage systems. When flushed, the
plastics within them break down into microplastics that can harm wildlife and
accumulate in the food chain.
“This ban will put an end to plastic wet wipes which choke our sewers, litter
our beaches and poison wildlife,” said environment secretary Emma Reynolds. A
government consultation found that 95% of respondents backed a plastic wet wipe
ban. Retailers have already moved in this direction, with brands such as Boots
removing plastic-containing wipes from sale last year.
The law now sets a firm deadline, giving businesses in England until spring
2027 to comply, while the ban will come into effect in December 2026 in Wales.
Spain is also preparing legislation to ban the flushing of all wet wipes. And
although there is no national ban yet on plastic wet wipes in the US yet, the
WIPPES Act, passed by the US House, is a first step that will require wipe
manufacturers to label non-flushable products clearly with “Do Not Flush.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
