Encouraging signs in tackling climate change – Part 5

Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox continues his series on some encouraging signs of progress in the last 12 months in the fight against climate change.

Wet wipes ban: For years, wet wipes made of plastic have been blocking pipes, causing huge problems for water companies.

But from December 18 this year, a ban on the sale of wet wipes made of plastic has been signed into law for Wales and from May 19, 2027. for England. The new rules will bring them both into line with legislation across the rest of the UK.

The changes come after a consultation to find out the public’s views on wipes showed 95 per cent of people supported a ban.

“The difficulty is that plastic wipes don’t disintegrate when flushed down the toilet,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd, at Keele University’s Science and Innovation Park. “So, when oil and fat congeal on them, so-called fatbergs form in sewers, which water companies say cost them £200m a year to clear.”

He said they severely damage the environment not only by blocking sewers but also by causing untreated sewage to overflow into rivers, streams, and streets, destroying ecosystems, contaminating water sources, and releasing toxic chemicals and bacteria.

“To show how big the problem is,” he said, “a massive stinking lump of wet wipes, fat and oil weighing 100 tonnes was removed from a sewer in west London in October last year. It weighed the same as eight double-decker buses and took a specialist team from Thames Water more than a month to break it down.”

Severn Trent says 10 tonnes a day of wet wipes end up at their facility at Minworth, which serves a population of more than two million people across Birmingham and the Black Country.

Researchers say toilet paper takes up to several months to break down, while with non-plastic wet wipes it’s up to two years and with plastic wipes it is hundreds, or even thousands of years.

The market for wet wipes has been growing steadily for years. According to government figures in 2023, 32 billion wipes were sold in the UK, of which about 12 billion contained plastic. If they were all laid out flat that would be enough to cover 2,200 football pitches with plastic wipes.

Ron welcomed the new legislation, but he pointed out that UK companies will still be able to manufacture and export plastic wet wipes, and they will also be available on medical grounds.

“I think the UK government should go further,” concluded Ron. “Non-plastic wipes should not be labelled as flushable because they can still cause blockages. Instead, people should be told to bin them, not flush them.”

This article raises some important questions, said Ron. Do you use wet wipes containing plastic? Will you stop using them now? What more do you think can be done to end this scourge? Send your views to Ron Fox at [email protected]

For more advice on protecting the environment and green energy, contact Ron Fox, of Noreus Ltd on 0845 474 6641 or get in touch with us here

➡️ Final encouraging sign in tackling climate change next week.

Caption: Wiping away a problem. Picture: John Butterworth