Plastic wet wipes to be banned from May 2027
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 10:19 · Archive
From May 2027, new environmental regulations will ban wet wipes containing plastic to reduce microplastic pollution. However, Southern Water warns this regulatory change will not reduce sewer blockages caused by flushing wipes, as plastic-free alternatives remain problematic.
Southern Water deals with around 30,000 blockages per year across its region, with almost 40% of blockages in the past 12 months caused by unflushables, many of which are wet wipes and period products. Around 1 billion wet wipes are removed from the South East sewer network annually, with 270 million removed from Hampshire and 30 million from the Isle of Wight alone.
Unlike toilet paper, wipes labelled as 'flushable' stay intact in the sewer network. Once flushed, they get caught inside pipes and combine with tampons, fats, oils and grease to cause blockages that can flood homes and communities. Wet wipes are also a significant source of pollution along UK coastlines; between 2015 and 2020, Defra's Beach Litter Monitoring Data found an average of 20 wet wipes per 100 metres of beach.
Southern Water urges customers to dispose of wipes in the bin, warning that 'plastic-free does not mean pollution-free or sewer-safe', despite such wipes being marketed as more environmentally friendly.
How it is being reported
- Rules on wet wipes are changing, but the flushing rules aren’tFrom May 2027, new environmental protection regulation will come into force, meaning wet wipes containing plastic will be banned, writes Matt Collins, Blockage Manager at Southern WaterSouthern Daily Echo · 12 Oct, 10:00
- Rules on wet wipes are changing, but the flushing rules aren’tFrom May 2027, new environmental protection regulation will come into force, meaning wet wipes containing plastic will be banned, writes Matt Collins, Blockage Manager at Southern WaterRomsey Advertiser · 12 Oct, 10:00
In this story: Southern Water · Hampshire · Isle of Wight · South East · Defra
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