Wet Wipe Ban Campaign Closer to Success as Consultation Begins

Fleur Anderson welcomes government announcement

Fleur Anderson (right) showing wet wipes on the Thames foreshore to Michaela Strachan during the filming of a Channel 5 programme on the issue

October 20, 2023

The government has begun a consultation with the public on the question of whether plastic in wet wipes should be banned.

The move, which is the final step before the introduction of legislation, has been welcomed by Putney MP Fleur Anderson who has led the campaign on the issue.

She urged the government to ‘get the job done’ and follow through on its earlier pledges.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, when questioned by the Putney MP at PMQs in September, said, “In the comprehensive ‘Plan for Water’ that was published by the Environment Secretary in April, we confirmed our intention to ban wet wipes containing plastic, subject, as is legally proper, to a public consultation.

“That consultation will be launched in the coming months, in autumn this year, and I know Ministers will keep the House updated on progress.” 

The government are consulting the public on banning plastic in wet wipes from the 14 October to the 25 November 2023. The consultation can be found online here. 

Ms Anderson has been nominated for several environmental awards for her work on campaigning to ban plastic in wet wipes, winning the Environment APPG’s prize for ‘Environmental Campaign of the Year’.  

She said, “I have been campaigning for a ban on plastic in wet wipes for 2 years and I think we are finally getting close to getting this common-sense piece of legislation passed. The Government has agreed to back my ban on plastic in wet wipes, 96% of the public who responded to the previous consultation backed the ban, as do environmental organisations and water companies. After this final consultation, which I’d encourage all residents to respond to, I’m hoping my ban will finally be made law.  

“This is an important issue nation-wide – it currently costs £100 million each year in clearing blocked sewers. We are all extremely conscious of the state of our seas and rivers given years of Conservative neglect of our waterways and it is especially important for us as Putney residents, right next to the River Thames. I’ve taken tens of journalists down to see the ‘wet wipe island’ on the bank of the Thames. Hopefully that will soon be a thing of the past!”  

Over 11 billion wet wipes are used every year in the UK. Those containing plastic do not break down, causing them to clog pipes and damage our oceans and river environments and marine life.  

The campaign has cross-party support and the support of retailers, producers and environmental organisations.   Boots, Tesco and Aldi have already banned wet wipes containing plastic from their stores following Fleur Anderson’s lobbying.  

She added, “Whilst some people might consider plastics in wet wipes a small issue, in the UK we use an astonishing 11 billion wet wipes every year. 90% of these 11 billion contain some form of plastic. That is 163 wet wipes for every person in the UK, every year. A ban would not only reduce the damage being done to our waterways and marine life, but it will save us money on our water bills, as blockages caused by wet wipes cost water companies millions of pounds a year to clear.”