Wet wipes plastic ban: how sustainable are plastic-free wipes?
Last month, the government announced plans to introduce a ban on the sale of wet wipes containing plastic in the UK. It's likely to be in place by the end of the year.
The ban follows a recent end to the Fine to Flush certification scheme, which was created by Water UK. It certified some wet wipes (carrying a 'Fine to Flush' logo) as OK to be flushed down the toilet.
Consumers were thought to be encouraged by the logo to think that all wipes were flushable and were not following instructions to only flush one wipe at a time, which was causing big problems in our sewers and waterways.
The Fine to Flush logo is being phased out; now, Water UK is pivoting its campaign to Bin the Wipe instead.
If you use them regularly, we've looked into your options for making more sustainable choices.
Live more sustainably - get our free Sustainability newsletter to make changes for you and the planet
The problem with wet wipes
Some wipes may contain bio-based plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polylactic acid (PLA). The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says there is currently a lack of evidence that these materials consistently break down in real-world environments.
Almost every week, there's another story of a 'fatberg' clogging up a sewer or waterway. Thames Water recently announced the successful removal of a 35-tonne fatberg – the same weight as three double-decker buses – from a London sewer. Fatbergs are composed of solids like wet wipes, sanitary items and condoms that have been flushed into the sewer system, where they mix with solid fat that's also been poured down the drain, resulting in large sewer blockages.
On top of all that, wet wipes are frequently found by those clearing litter on the UK's beaches. Defra data found that between 2015 and 2020, an average of 20 wet wipes were found per 100m of beach surveyed across the UK.
Whether the wipes you choose contain plastic or not, they are still ultimately a single-use product that is used for a moment and thrown away. Manufacturing them uses raw materials with big environmental footprints, such as cotton, bamboo or viscose.
The liquid they come in can also contain ingredients with sustainability issues, such as palm oil. It often includes chemicals such as parabens, which can cause damage to rivers and waterways.
Many people buy a lot of wet wipes, whether it's for your baby, your beauty routine, personal hygiene or cleaning the house.
Here's what to think about when you do.
Plastic-free wet wipes
They'll be banned by the end of the year, but in the meantime definitely avoid buying wet wipes that contain fibres that will leach microplastics into the environment when they break down.
Many of the wet wipes currently on sale are already plastic-free, including supermarket own-brands. Most manufacturers do plastic-free ranges.
Wipes that are plastic-free will generally state as much on the packaging.
But even so-called biodegradable wipes may not actually biodegrade as well as they suggest. It's true they will eventually break down but, in reality, so does everything. The lab-controlled conditions in which biodegradable products break down (certain exposure to oxygen, UV, temperature) are not likely to be replicated in nature and so even these bio-based materials can persist for a long time.
The Rivers Trust says the following in its position statement on wet wipes:
'Plastic-free alternatives are not the simple solution to this problem. They are still designed not to break down easily and, therefore, will still cause blockages in the sewerage system and result in sewage spills into rivers.
'The only positive aspect to plastic-free alternatives in such a case is that they don’t introduce microplastics into the environment. Plastic-free wet wipes need to be accompanied with the clear labelling mentioned above, instructing consumers to bin the wipes.'
So, if you do use disposable wipes, always put them in the bin, even if they are plastic-free.
To find out more about what to avoid putting into our waterways, read our guide to how to buy water friendly products.
Just because a packet of wet wipes has packaging claims such as natural or pure, don't assume they are biodegradable or plastic-free.
Another claim to be wary of is 'plant-based fibres'. Unless this is accompanied by a 100% claim or a plastic-free claim, then these fibres may only form part of the wipe's composition.
Where to buy plastic free baby wipes
The following baby wipes state on the packaging or on the product listing that they are plastic-free.
- Huggies - Pure 0% Plastic, Natural 0% Plastic Baby Wipes, Natural+E 0% Plastic
- Pampers - Harmonie range, Sensitive 0% Plastic
- Aldi Mamia
- Amazon Mama Bear Ultra Sensitive only
- Asda Little Angels
- Boots Baby, Little Stories
- Essential Waitrose
- Lidl Lupilu
- Morrisons Nutmeg
- Ocado Kiddo
- Sainsbury's Little Ones
- Superdrug My Little Star
- Tesco Fred & Flo
- Aqua Wipes
- Eco by Naty
- Kinder by Nature
- Kit and Kin
- Mum & You
- Pura
- The Cheeky Panda
- Waterful
- Water Wipes
- Wet Ones
All wipes that Boots and Tesco stock, including all branded wipes, are plastic-free.
Plastic-containing baby wipes
These wipes state they currently contain plastic
- Huggies - Pure, Extra Sensitive and Natural
- Pampers - Fresh Clean, Sensitive
- Amazon Mama Bear (Amazon own brand) Sensitive, Fresh
- Aveeno Baby
Switching to reusable wet wipes
Whatever you are using them for, reusable wipes (ideally made of more sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, responsibly produced viscose such as TENCEL, linen or hemp) are more planet-friendly and may be more cost-effective over time too.
Reusable baby wipes
New parents often suddenly find that wet wipes are a big part of their lives like never before. According to a YouGov study commissioned by Huggies, 85% of UK parents of young children use an average of 24 baby wipes a day.
But there are reusable options you can try instead. Some brands produce a complete set of everything you'll need, such as a container that you can presoak the wipes in to keep them moist and a container to chuck dirty wipes into so that you can put them all into the washing machine together once it's full.
The same applies to replacing moist toilet wipes with reusable ones. You can also buy toilet paper gels to turn your ordinary toilet paper into a quick wet wipe.
Reusable make-up and beauty wipes
The plastic bottles that cleansers and lotions come in do still have an environmental impact, but are made of readily and repeatably recyclable HDPE. A high percentage of HDPE is recycled compared to most other types of plastic.
Alternatively, solid cleansing bars combined with reusable wipes are an even better option, especially if they are minimally or un-packaged.
Cleaning wipe alternatives
While cleaning products can come in a handy wipe form, it goes without saying that using cleaning products such as sprays and detergents with reusable cloths is a better option than single-use wipes. It's a cheaper long-term option, too.
Some cleaning brands offer concentrated versions of their products and have refillable bottles, which can further reduce environmental impact.
To find out more about how to get the best out of refillables, read our guide on how to buy refillable products.
