UK Ban on the supply and sale of single use throw away wet wipes containing plastic
The UK Government, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive have all taken the decision to proceed with legislation to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic across the UK.
From the point each separate piece of the legislation is passed, there will be an 18-month transition period to allow manufacturers adequate time to transition to producing plastic-free wet wipes. The transition period should mitigate economic impacts of the ban, including job losses, and prevent excess stocks of wet wipes containing plastic from being incinerated or landfilled.
We anticipate legislation to be in place across the UK by the end of 2024. The intention to ban wet wipes containing plastic, subject to consultation, has been expressed in various government strategies. Most manufacturers have commenced the transition to producing plastic-free wet wipes already.