Sewer-blocking plastic wet wipes face ban in England

What looks like a plastic snack wrapper, bottom left, forms part of the only remaining piece of the 130-ton, 250-metre long fatberg, removed from the sewers in the Whitechapel area of east London in the latter months of 2017, displayed during a media preview at the Museum of London in London, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018. The Whitechapel fatberg was formed from a mass of oil and grease congealed with wet wipes and other sanitary products. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

LONDON, United Kingdom -- England will ban the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic, a huge cause of pollution and sewer blockages, the U.K. government announced on Tuesday.

Rivers, lakes and beaches will be cleaner and wildlife “better protected” by the measures, due to come into force in early 2027, an environment ministry statement said.

The announcement comes as public concern about the state of the U.K.’s waterways and how the country deals with its sewage is growing.

The organization UK Water Industry Research found that wet wipes contribute to 94 percent of sewer blockages, some dubbed “fatbergs,” which cost water companies around £200 million (US$260 million) to fix each year.

The measures will only apply to wet wipes containing plastic, which experts say are particularly bad for the environment.

“Plastics in wet wipes makes them stronger and harder to break down, meaning they cause even more issues when flushed and are behind a huge number of blockages,” said Stephanie Cawley, director of customer operations at Severn Trent, a regional water supplier.

“Our message is only the three Ps, pee, poo and paper should be flushed, and putting wet wipes of any kind in the bin will make a massive difference to the sewer network and the communities we serve.”

There are some exemptions -- for example, usage by medical professionals.

Registered pharmacies can also continue selling wipes containing plastic as long as they are not immediately visible or advertised to customers.

The manufacture and export of these wipes are also still permitted. But a “further ban” on the manufacture of the wipes could occur once the changes come into force.

Authorities are attempting to get manufacturers to remove the word “flushable” from the packaging of all wet wipes, including those without plastic, to highlight the government’s message about how to dispose of them.

“Every wet wipe flushed down the toilet risks blocking sewers, causing pollution and pushing up household bills,” environment minister Emma Reynolds said.

“The solution is simple: bin wet wipes, don’t flush them.”

The legislation announced Tuesday applies only to England. Wales has already banned the sale of such wipes, and Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to introduce similar measures by the end of the year.