Wet wipes containing plastic must be banned in the UK as ‘islands’ of flushed wipes are appearing across the country, MPs have heard.
Labour MP Fleur Anderson’s bill to ban wet wipes containing plastic has passed its first Commons hurdle.
She told MPs that animals are dying and rivers are changing shape because of flushed wipes, and Brits might be eating a “credit card’s worth of plastic” due to microplastic shards from the discarded hygiene products.
“As a mother of four children I have used a lot of wet wipes and I completely understand the pressures that parents are under and how useful wet wipes are.
“I know that parents also want to do the right thing for the environment,” Ms Anderson told the Commons.
Statistics show 90% of the 11 billion wet wipes used in the UK each year contain some form of plastic which, when broken down, turn into microplastics which can be ingested by wildlife and enter the food chain and water supply.
The Great British Beach Clean reportedly saw an increase from 1.7 wet wipes per average 100m of beach to 18 wet wipes between 2005 and 2020.
Ms Anderson also cited data from the World Wildlife Fund, which suggested people eat about five grams of plastic a week, which she described as “literally eating a credit card’s worth of plastic every week”, claiming wet wipes were a “huge cause of this”.
Three years ago, the Tories tried to launch a crackdown on single-use plastics.
In 2018, then Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced a string of measures which included banning wet wipes.
As a Private Members Bill, it is unlikely to become law without Government support.
A Government source told the Mirror the Department for Environment is considering a range of options to tackle drain blockages and fatbergs, including a call for evidence.
But a ban is not said to be on the cards, the Mirror understands.
Friends of the Earth’s plastics campaigner, Camilla Zerr, said: “Plastic wet wipes add to the huge wave of plastic pollution clogging our waterways and harming our wildlife, they should be banned.
"But wet wipes are just a drop in a heavily polluted ocean. We urgently need a comprehensive approach to deal with the wide range of plastic products damaging our planet. Banning one plastic product at a time is far too slow to deal with the crisis.
"That’s why the government must urgently commit to new laws that drastically reduce all types of plastic pollution.”
The Plastics (Wet Wipes) Bill will be read again in the Commons on Friday November 19.
A No 10 spokesman said the 25-year environment plan sets out “a commitment to eliminate avoidable plastic waste”.
“We are working closely with the manufacturers and water companies to ensure labelling is clear on wet wipes and also raising awareness on how to dispose of them properly,” the spokesman said.
“We are bringing in new powers for ministers to introduce charges on all single-use items, not just plastics, helping to cut waste and put an end to the throwaway culture.”
