Wet wipes could soon be banned in the UK as part of the continuous effort to get rid of unnecessary plastic waste.
Despite being described as ‘flushable’, these wipes are actually having a devastating effect on our environment because they are not able to break down naturally.
Makeup and baby wipes are an essential to nearly everyone these days from mothers and babies, to those cleaning their house.
However, Water UK has revealed that 93 per cent of blocked UK sewage pipes are caused by wet wipes.
This comes shortly after Theresa May’s announcement of a 25-year plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, which included items such as plastic straw, coffee cups and plastic stirrers.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has now added wet wipes to the list of soon to be banned products, as they contain non-biodegradable substances such as polyester.
The wet wipes are clumping together in sewage pipes and blocking them, causing “fatbergs” that don’t just back up the sewage but also crack main outlet pipes.
Thames Water, in a recent document about “fatbergs”, said it spends around £1 million a month clearing blockages from its sewers caused by items such as fat, wipes, diapers, cotton buds, sanitary products and condoms.
Defra has said that it is encouraging innovation so that more products can be recycled, and creating products that don’t contain plastic to begin with, meaning they can be flushed.
Would this affect you if they were to be banned? Let us know.
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