Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned next summer

Wet wipes containing plastic will be banned in Scotland from August next year as part of UK-wide action.

Wales will bring in a ban in December, with England and Northern Ireland to follow in May next year.

Scotland’s ban will come into force on August 11 2027, according to regulations published by the Scottish Government.

The move is hoped to reduce plastic pollution and blockages in the water system, and was backed by 93% of respondents to a 2023 consultation.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are an unnecessary single-use item, for which more environmentally friendly alternatives already exist.

“As with all single-use items, it is vital they are disposed of correctly, otherwise they become a problematic source of marine litter and a threat to the health of our environment and wildlife.

“This ban delivers on an important commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and builds on previous actions to ban unnecessary single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, cutlery and single-use vapes.

“These policies are all proof of the progress we are making towards protecting our environment and creating a more circular economy.

“In addition, we will continue to call on the UK Government to address issues such as misleading claims on product packaging which can lead to incorrect disposal of items such as wet wipes.”

Scottish Water boss Alex Plant added: “This ban will help us tackle one of the biggest challenges we face – responding to and clearing around 35,000 blockages every year in our sewers, at a cost of about £10 million, largely due to wet wipes wrongly flushed down toilets.”

Catherine Gemmell, the policy and advocacy manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said the ban is a “vital step towards reducing sewage-related rubbish on our beaches”.

She added: “Our volunteers have consistently found huge numbers of wet wipes along Scotland’s coastline, with some beaches recording thousands.”