Holland & Barrett is the first high street chain to ban wet wipes for good and we're hoping everyone else follows suit
Everyone knows how bad any kind of disposable wipes are to our environment; they end up in our oceans and rivers, causing havoc to our sewage systems and blocking up our loos.
So kudos to Holland & Barrett who have become the first high street chain to stop all sales of wet wipes.
The health food shop has announced plans that they are going to remove all of its 34-product wet wipe range from all of its 800 UK and Ireland stores from the end of September.
Joanna Cooke, Head of Beauty at Holland & Barrett, said: "The impact of single-use plastic on the earth is very evident, and so moving forward we will look to make our beauty offering as clean and conscious as possible."
The store will instead fill its shelves with sustainable, reusable beauty alternatives, which includes cotton pads, unbleached cotton muslin cloths and exfoliating mitts, as part of its new green initiative.
You might remember, Holland & Barrett were the first on the high street to ban the use of plastic bags and microplastics and the store hopes its latest move will encourage more major retailers to do the same and ‘make the high street a more environmentally conscious place.’
According to the EarthWatch Institute and Plastic Oceans UK, around 9.3million wipes are flushed down toilets in the UK every day and they account for 80% of UK sewer blockages. Last year the Marine Conversation Society found an average of 12 wet wipes per 100m on UK beaches. Yikes!
Here’s to hoping more stores will join the fight and follow suit.
Want to do your daily bit to help our oceans? Here's 13 ways you can cut down on waste:
- Plastic-free periods
Period waste is a problem. In fact, the average woman will use 11,000 disposable menstrual products in her life - many of which get flushed down the toilet, blocking the sewers and pollution the oceans. Luckily, brands like Dame, Mooncup and THINX are thinking of innovative, reusable alternatives to non-degradable tampons and plastic applicators.
- A cut above the rest
Contrary to using a new set of plastic cutlery every lunch hour, a sleek, reusable set, like this one from Joseph Joseph , will see you through your meal without the bitter aftertaste of pollution. Yay.
- Wipe clean
You may not be aware, but many face wipes are non-biodegradable, meaning they spend years sitting in landfill sites or clogging up the sewers. Make sure you swap yours for biodegradable alternatives, like these charcoal-infused ones from Yes To.
- The final straw
Single-use, plastic straws have emerged as a serious threat to marine life and a totally unnecessary waste product of human consumption. Swap your plastic straw for reusable, and super chic, stainless steel versions, like these multi-coloured gems from Klean Kanteen,
- Smell the coffee
Instead of ordering your morning latte in a cardboard cup with a pesky plastic lid, invest in a reusable coffee cup. Not only are most of them made of non-toxic BPA-free plastic, but many cafes (Pret, Starbucks and Costa) will give you a discount for your efforts. Plus, they are far more fetching than a disposable one - check out this hot pink version from Ecoffee Cup. Winning all round.
- Beauty goes green
You wouldn't throw away a milk carton - you'd recycle it. So, why would you throw away your beauty empties? Luckily, a roster of brands offer in-store recycling services, like Kiehl's, Origins, Lush among many others. Simply return your empties and the brand then sends them off to specialist recycling centres. Some brands even offer rewards...
- Go naked
Why not strip the packaging off altogether and pick up some naked products? Lush are pioneering the movement in the beauty sector with their Shampoo Bars, but why not take it further to your grocery shopping, too?
- BYOB
As in, bring your own bag. Either reuse old plastic carrier bags you've picked up or invest in a nifty shopper like this netted number from Arket. Just think of all the 5p's you could save.
- Plastic-free foods
Don't wrap your foods in potentially harmful plastic wrap. Especially when there are so many eco-friendly alternatives, like this reusable food wrap made from cotton, tree resin and beeswax.
- If you can't reuse, recycle
Ok, it's an obvious one but always remember to recycle. Basically, the only things you can't chuck in the recycling bin are hard plastics, broken glass and lightbulbs, plastic bags, wet or dirty paper and textiles. Everything else goes (yes, even foil) - just make sure you rinse any food residue off first.
- Brush up
Hundreds of plastic toothbrushes have been found in oceans all over the world. Why not turn to using this bamboo one instead, crafted from pure biodegradable bamboo with toxic-free nylon bristles that can be recycled (or will biodegrade). Plus, with each Zero Waste Club product sold, a tree is planted.
- Up sticks
Time to switch your regular makeup bag plastic cotton buds to these bamboo and soft cotton ones that can easily be thrown into the recycling or compost bin after use.
- Get spongy
How about ditching that plastic loofah for a 100% natural konjac sponge, made from the konjac plant? These super-soft sponges are big in Japan (they’ve been using them for over 1,500 years to cleanse babies) and make brilliant exfoliators.
