Scottish government bans wet wipes containing plastic

The sale and supply of wet wipes that contain plastic will be banned in Scotland from next year, the Scottish government has announced.

This type of wipe is a common source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the environment.

Exemptions will be in place for medical and industrial uses, as well as business-to-business sales. Members of the public who require specific wet wipes containing plastic for medical or healthcare reasons will also be able to request these from a pharmacy.

The ban will be introduced in all four nations of the UK following a UK-wide consultation in 2023, which found overwhelming public support for the proposals.

The ban that comes into place on 11 August, 2027, is part of wider action to protect Scotland's environment and marine waters and includes a transition period for businesses to help them prepare.

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."

The ban is part of the Marine Litter Strategy and follows similar bans on single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, cutlery and single-use vapes.

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

Scottish Water said it responded to, and cleared, about 35,000 blockages in sewers every year at a cost of about £10m.

It claims this was largely due to wet wipes wrongly flushed down toilets.

Scottish Water's chief executive, Alex Plant, said: "The Nature Calls campaign has led the way in making the case for a ban - and encourages everyone to bin wet wipes and stick to the 3Ps - flushing only pee, poo and toilet paper.

"We are also calling on the UK government for mandatory, responsible 'do not flush' labelling for all bathroom products that risk being wrongly disposed of to sewers, and an end to misleading environmental claims on packaging to reduce customer confusion and reinforce the correct disposal option."