Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to (1) require the packaging for wet wipes containing plastic fibres to display a warning that the wipes must not be flushed down toilets, (2) carry out a public awareness campaign regarding the dangers wet wipes with plastic particles pose to the environment, wildlife and public health, and (3) list publicly all the brands which use plastic particles in their wet wipes.

There is currently no plan to consult on banning wet wipes containing plastic fibres, except where those fabrics also contain microbeads.

On 3 September, the Secretary of State announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads which may cause harm to the marine environment. The Government’s plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products, such as domestic and industrial cleaning products, before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, including microfibres, which enter the marine environment.

It is important that people receive the information they need to dispose of the personal and cleaning products they buy in the most appropriate way to minimise their impact on the environment. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities has written to leading manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes and other products that should not be flushed into the sewer system, to encourage them to work closely with the water and sewerage companies on this issue, as well as on the information provided to customers on product packaging. While the packaging of some such products makes clear that they should not be flushed into the sewer system, others do not.

The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities plans to meet with leading manufacturers, retailers and water companies to discuss the matter further.