Authorities are resorting to desperate measures to remove Wet Wipe Island near Hammersmith Bridge. It’s fallen to the Port of London Authority, which once ran London’s docks, to remove the equivalent of 15 double decker buses of waste from the Thames.
So how did the capital’s river get so degraded, when the Seine in Paris is just about clean enough to host Olympic swimming events, and a thousand Parisians a day will swim in it this summer? The UK government is dragging its feet on banning wet wipes containing plastic.
After a consultation which showed 95 per cent of respondents favoured a ban, ministers promised one by the end of 2024.
But only Wales has introduce a ban so far, which comes into place at the end of 2026. This lack of action is baffling, because British people want to see action on waste. Recent polling for Green Alliance showed that four out of five British people want a less throwaway culture.
And two thirds of us would change our lifestyles in order to have a society that uses resources better. But there’s only so much individuals can do to prevent the natural environment they love getting blighted by waste.
We have allowed a market for these products to grow, just like we did for disposable vapes
We can ask people to stop flushing wet wipes, and bin them instead. We can encourage them to choose biodegradable alternatives, and make sure it’s clear when products contain plastic. But we have allowed a market for these products to grow, just like we did for disposable vapes.
And companies have taken advantage: there are around 18 wet wipe factories in the UK, and around half of the wet wipes they make contain plastic. That’s why we need to see a bigger effort to change our take, make, throw economy to one that’s less wasteful. People rightly expect that the government should lead this – in previous polling, four in five said the government should be responsible for tackling environmental issues.
We can start by designing out waste from our products. This year, the European Union set out plans for a wave of regulations aimed at making sure products are durable, repairable and recyclable. Remember Michael Gove’s promise of a "once in a lifetime opportunity” as we left the EU to rethink “how we care for our land, our rivers and our seas”? The Conservative government at the time promised to keep pace with ecodesign standards on the continent.
See also: Best alternatives to wet wipes: the eco-friendly options you need to know about
But in reality, our standards have fallen behind. We have a chance to catch up, and address people’s concerns about the damage caused by a wasteful economy. Wales has a track record of making policy that considers the wellbeing of future generations.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the only nation in the UK that has put in place a wet wipes ban, which comes into force at the end of 2026. Here in England, the government will publish its first circular economy strategy in the autumn.
The UK uses twice as many resources as the United Nations says is sustainable
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has committed to catching up with countries like Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands that have powered ahead not just with reducing waste, but making the most of the resources that are already in our economy.
But the UK uses twice as many resources as the United Nations says is sustainable. So a key test for the new strategy is whether the government commits to a long-term target to bring our use of resources down. This will encourage more reuse, remanufacturing and recycling – and mean there is less to throw away.
Londoners are rightly appalled by Wet Wipe Island. We are right to expect our government to stop dragging its heels on banning harmful products like wet wipes with plastic in them, just as we’ve finally banned disposable vapes.
But to truly address this issue, we need to address the way that waste is wired into our economy, and the government needs to stand up to some powerful interests on our behalf. This week, UN talks to establish a legally binding target to reduce plastic production appear to be stalling again in Geneva in the face of opposition from fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates.
The Centre for International Environmental Law found that 237 industry lobbyists are present at this round of the negotiations. Our polling shows that British people want to see action on waste. They’re willing to do their bit to help. But they need the government to back them up.
Emily Carr is a policy adviser at Green Alliance
