Plastic Wet Wipes: Retailers views on Government proposal

BRC has now submitted its views to the UK Government on the proposal to ban the manufacture, supply and sale of single-use wet wipes containing plastic. Our submission can be downloaded below.

Highlights

After engaging our membership on the UK Government proposal to introduce a ban on the supply or sale of wet wipes that contain plastic, including giving away for free, we are in a position to support the approach with the caveats outlined below.

• The ban on the supply and sale of plastic wet-wipes should be limited to B2C supply and sale as the desired effect of the policy measure would be most needed for domestic settings where the incorrect consumer disposal behavior is occurring.
• The supply and sale should be allowed for the B2B scope, especially when it comes to commercial and industrial settings for cleaning and disinfection purposes of retail and food to go premises. In these specific instances, we understand that alternative materials are not as performant as plastic (e.g. it is more difficult/more product is required to transfer on the surface) and there is already existing straightforward guidance available and followed by businesses in relation to the required correct disposal.
• The ban should allow a narrow list of exemptions allowing the supply and sale of plastic wet-wipes for medicinal and healthcare purposes where plastic-free alternatives are not yet effectively available
• Retailers need to see a consistent UK-wide approach in terms of secondary legislation across the four UK nations. This means no divergent/different scopes in Secondary Instruments and same go-live date.
• Retailers also wish to see an aligned implementation period across the four UK nations with sufficient lead in time for businesses to sell through, prepare and smoothly transition with no contractual impediments or product wastages (18 months as minimum).
• Natural polymers which have not been chemically modified, e.g., viscose and lyocell, should not be considered to meet the definition of plastic and thus wipes containing these alternative materials should be excluded from the proposed ban.

The lead in time is an important factor for Government to consider because there are long-established procurement arrangements in place with suppliers. The policy should not result in occurring further cost to retailers should they need to renegotiate their terms with suppliers or stop sourcing from them before the end of their contacts.

We wish to highlight that over the last couple of year, the market dynamic has shifted considerably in the UK, with many retailers no longer selling own-label products containing plastic to their customers. Therefore, as long as the proposed ban on the supply and sale is introduced with the above-mentioned caveats, the BRC is supportive of the proposal as it would set a level playing field across the industry.

BRC members are not directly impacted by the proposal to introduce a ban on the manufacture of wet wipes that contain plastic. We understand that for retailers’ own-brand products, there have been significant steps taken to remove plastic and reformulate the material composition of wet wipe products. However, we acknowledge that the proposal, if taken forward, will have important consequences to the UK businesses that currently manufacture wet wipes, including those containing plastic. The ban will have a direct businesses' impact on these manufacturers’ ability to export to other global markets, therefore potentially hindering UK businesses competitiveness abroad.

Any questions, please get in touch with nadiya.catel-arutyunova@brc.org.uk