Countries around the world are beginning to understand the damage caused by flushable wet wipes, and the United Kingdom is one of the countries considering taking action in the near future against flushable wipes. Environmental damage is being caused by wet wipes around the world, and as a consumer, it’s critical you understand the options available to you as a replacement for these products. With 71% of the British public agreeing that non-flushable wet wipes should be banned, it’s clear that change is just around the corner.
The UK Government’s War on Plastic
While the UK Government recently announced its “war on plastic” last August, one area that’s receiving further attention was the omission of plastic-containing flushable wipes. Each year, water companies are spending roughly £100 million to clear over 300,000 blockages, which are caused by these flushable wet wipes, oil, and other solid waste products. Bright Blue is leading a campaign to ban these products due to the impact they have on our waterways. With aquatic life ingesting microplastics and the fatberg build-ups only continuing to increase, change is needed to protect the marine ecosystems.
Each year in the UK, 11 billion wet wipes are used, with 90% of these products including plastic in their design. Labour MP Fleur Anderson submitted a Private Member’s Bill, which has yet to be formally supported by the government. As a mother herself, she knows many parents rely on flushable wipes and desperately want to make the right decisions for both themselves and the environment. Encouraging consumers to put wipes in the trash and not flush them is the first step, but minimizing the reliance on plastic for their production is another key area of concern.
Flushable Wipes Contribute to Rising Water Bill Costs
Wet wipes cause a staggering 93% of blockages in UK sewers, and up to 30 tonnes of these products are removed each day from one sewage station. With consumers relying more and more on flushable wipes, this problem is only continuing to increase. The amount that it costs water companies to clear these blockages is then added to water bills each month, which is something no homeowner wants to see.
The Slow Elimination of Single-Use Plastic in the UK
Fleur Anderson also suggests that retailers need to be held accountable for their product labels as well, with many products incorrectly showing they are “Fine to Flush.” The confusing labels on products don’t help with this issue, but action has yet to be taken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since the announcement of its initiative to target plastic-containing flushable wipes. While this decision was made a few years ago, little progress has been made to eliminate avoidable single-use plastic within the next 25 years.
While the UK already has bans in place for single-use plastic in regards to cotton buds, plastic straws, plastic grocery bags, and microbeads, progress is still needed in regards to plastic entering the environment. One of the most successful initiatives in the past years within the UK was the charge for single-use carrier bags in supermarkets, which helps to tackle pollution and litter also. However, flushable wet wipes simply aren’t receiving the attention they need just yet. The more the public is educated about this concern, the less likely we’ll see these damaging fatbergs appear in the future, which devastate the wildlife and waterways in the UK.
A Replacement for Flushable Wet Wipes
For consumers in the UK and around the world, one of the most confusing parts of this concerning news is finding a new solution to replace the flushable wipes they rely on daily. Here at Pristine, we offer a wide range of products, but the one we believe could truly resolve the issue with flushable wet wipes is our toilet paper spray. This product is sprayed directly onto dry toilet paper, creating an instant wet wipe. You’ll enjoy the same benefits of a wet wipe without the terrible impact on the environment we’ve shared above.
When using a Pristine toilet paper spray, you won’t damage your home plumbing and septic system. If a country such as the UK switched over to this solution, it would reduce the number of flushable wet wipes in landfills and save consumers a fortune in their water bills in the long run. Our spray is formulated to create a high-quality, natural cleansing spray, which offers moisturizing benefits for your skin. When there’s a solution like this on offer, there’s no need to keep relying on flushable wipes, and we can all play our part to reduce our impact on the environment. Pristine is now available on Amazon United States and Amazon United Kingdom.
Resources:
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/labour-mp-plastic-wet-wipes-b1949636.html
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/mp-to-launch-bill-to-ban-plastic-in-wet-wipes
https://deframedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/15/government-considering-new-action-on-wet-wipes/
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities