The government is planning to ban wet wipes as they are blamed for spreading a toxic wave of plastic waste across Britain.
Also, the proposals include the demand that packaging clearly labeled with a warning to people about not flushing single-use items down their toilets.
Wet wipes with plastic in them can cause fatbergs to form when they are flushed. They block sewers and pollute rivers, as well as littering that is harmful for wildlife.
According to MPs, more than 90% of the 1billion UK wet wipes sold each year are made up of plastic.
Today, the Government will release a call to evidence on whether plastic wet wipes need to be outlawed and their manufacturers made to use sustainable options.
Under government plans to cleanse our rivers and oceans, wet wipes could be soon banned for the toxic plastics that brought a flood of wasteful plastics to Britain (stock photo).
The Daily Mail’s Turning the Tide campaign has achieved another milestone with this announcement. They have been the pioneers in banning single use items.
Ministers will ask you for your views about whether or not tobacco companies should be responsible for cleaning up the cigarette butts. Meanwhile, a formal announcement will make this week regarding the ban on single-use plastic cutlery and plates.
Wet wipes are believed to be responsible for 93 per cent of the blockages in sewers, costing bill payers £100million per year to clear. MPs have criticised manufacturers who incorrectly label their products as flushable. Marine Conservation Society called for wet wipes with a “fine to flush” label if they can be proven to fully dissolve.
Sources from the Department for the Environment stated that: “Daily Mail readers understand all too well the extent of damage single-use polyethylene has caused to the globe and it’s now time to combat the menace of plastic-based wet wipings.” A source said that plastic wipes might be banned within the next 18 months.
Pictured: Wet wipes make up a fatberg in London’s sewer. A lot of the waste that builds up in a sewer can weigh more than an elephant.
Ministers have already introduced a 5p plastic bag charge to reduce the use of these bags in main supermarkets, cutting down on their usage by 95% through the Mail’s Turn The Tide On Plastic campaign. Since then, the charge has been increased to 10p per bag and extended to all retailers. The ban on straws and plastic microbeads has been followed by bans on cotton buds, straws, stirrers, and straws.
Fleur Anderson, Labour MP introduced an earlier this month a Private Members’ Bill calling for the banning of plastic wet wipes.
According to her, the Marine Conservation Society has seen an increase in wet wipes over 100m of beaches from 1.7 to 18.
Elle added that plastics can cause irreparable damage to our marine environments and water systems when they enter them in large quantities. A hundred million animals are killed each year by plastic waste globally.