Ban plastic in wet wipes
We've been working to get plastic in wet wipes banned. In April 2024, all UK governments finally announced a ban on plastic in single-use wet wipes.
Campaign update: November 2025
The UK has officially passed legislation banning the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in England – a huge win following a joint campaign by the Marine Conservation Society and Fleur Anderson MP
In November 2021, we proudly backed Fleur Anderson MP’s wet wipe bill as she presented it in UK Parliament. Four years later, the ban has been approved by both Houses.
This marks a major milestone in tackling plastic pollution in our seas, and follows legislation for a ban in Wales already passed in Cardiff. Regulations for Scotland are still awaited.
While we will keep pushing for clearer labelling and a stronger definition of plastic, we welcome the UK Government’s commitment to go further.
The ban will come into force in May 2027.
Wet wipe pollution
Credit: Kirsty Crawford
That's why we've been advocating for a ban on plastic in wet wipes, here's what's happened to date:
April 2024: Ban announced for plastic in single-use wet wipes
After over a decade of campaigning, and countless hours spent by volunteers collecting vital data for Beachwatch – we are delighted by the announcement in April 2024 from all governments across the UK banning the supply and sale of single-use wet wipes containing plastic. A fantastic win for our seas!
Brands removing plastic in wet wipes
Following our advocacy work, major retailers like Tesco and Aldi have taken action by phasing out plastic from their own-brand wet wipes. Boots went one step further and removed any makeup and baby wipes containing plastic from their shelves.
It's encouraging to see these steps being taken by major retailers before an industry wide ban comes into place - we'd like to see more moving in this direction.
Supporting the wet wipe bill with Fleur Anderson MP
Fleur Anderson MP has been using her position to campaign and lobby the UK Government for a ban on plastic in wet wipes since 2021.
In November 2021, we supported Fleur's wet wipe bill as she presented it in Parliament and asked our community to tweet their MP on the issue.
What's happening in Scotland
Our team have been raising the issue of single-use plastic wet wipes in Scotland for over a decade, alongside calling on Scottish Government to ban them.
Through our work on the Marine Litter Strategy and liaison with Scottish Water, including supporting their Nature Calls campaign, last year the Scottish Government committed to investigating a ban on plastic in wet wipes, and has now joined the rest of the UK in confirming the ban.
