The UK's ban on wet wipes containing plastic goes into effect soon, so what can you still legally use?

Wet wipes polluting our oceans and rivers is bad, no question about it – which is why the UK government is planning to introduce legislation banning the sale of wipes containing plastic.

The new law will come into effect in England before July, before rolling out across the rest of the UK in autumn.

Discarded wet wipes have become an all-too common blemish on the landscape in recent years.

The uncomfortable truth is that they may be a convenient no-rinse solution for removing foundation and mascara. But they also litter Britain's beaches and waterways, where they eventually break down into microplastics that damage ecosystems.

More worrying still, these microplastics can then be ingested by wildlife and enter the food chain and water supply.

A global study, commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund and carried out by the University of Newcastle in Australia, has suggested that people consume about five grams or 2000 tiny pieces of plastic a week – the equivalent of a credit card.

The goal of the new legislation is similar to the recent ban on loose plastic glitter: to find more environmentally-friendly alternatives to microplastics.

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So you can still buy wet wipes after July, but the majority of these will be made from either 100% cotton or biodegradable, plant-based and decomposable materials.

Some companies such as Boots and Tesco have already reportedly stopped the sale of wet wipes containing plastics from their stores.

But does the new ban on wet wipes containing plastic go far enough? Some would argue no, and that the only way to truly prevent ocean pollution and sewer blockages is with an all-out ban on single-use wipes.

Not to mention, many skin experts would argue that even biodegradable wipes are much less effective than using a proper cleanser alongside a washable cotton flannel.

And, truthfully, micellar water does the same job as cleansing wipes without the same environmental impact when running water isn't available or you have mobility issues.

But if you are wedded to facial cleansing wipes, the key thing to remember is never flush them down the toilet. Even if they are “biodegradable” – these wipes still take time to break down. Or labelled as “flushable”, as this just means the wipes will make it past your pipes without a clogging issue, but they still end up swimming alongside the fishes.

So if you love turtles, dolphins, whales and all creatures of the big blue, do not do this. Ever. Throw wipes away with your usual household waste or compost them.

When you consider around 90% of wet wipes contained plastic in 2021, it's high time we started shopping more responsibly. These biodegradable options are a great place to start.