Environmental charity Thames21 has reiterated its call for the government to swiftly announce a date when it will introduce legislation to ban plastic in wet wipes to prevent them from ending up in the River Thames and its tributaries.
The previous government, under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, announced that it would introduce legislation to ban plastic in wet wipes in April. However, the current government has not set a timetable for introducing this new law.
The call comes ahead of Thames21’s ‘Big Wet Wipe Count’ citizen science event, which will take place by Hammersmith Bridge on Wednesday 30th April.
Wet wipes make their way into rivers and seas after being flushed down the toilet and sewage overflows dump them into the water. Once in the sewage system, they cause blockages and lead to sewage spills. Commonly, sewage-derived wet wipes contain plastic fibres that prevent them from biodegrading. As they accumulate on slow-moving parts of rivers, they create artificial islands harming wildlife and impacting water quality.
Wet wipes that contain plastic can take many years to biodegrade, breaking down into microplastics with time. These tiny particles are ingested by wildlife, spreading across the food chain and harming entire ecosystems.
Thames21’s Liz Gyekye said: “Together with our volunteers, we have collected more than 142,000 wet wipes from the Thames foreshore since 2017. Working together with our volunteers and partners, we were able to use this data to lobby the previous government to commit to introducing legislation to ban plastic in wet wipes last year.
“The River Thames has been London’s main artery for centuries, but this artery is facing many pressures, including sewage-derived wet wipes. These wet wipes have been harming the Thames, its wildlife and surrounding ecosystems for many years.
“There are quick wins to help solve this problem and stop plastic-based wet wipes from entering the environment in the first place. Therefore, we urge the government to take swift action to make the legislation of banning plastic in wet wipes effective sooner rather than later to help protect the River Thames. The River Thames deserves to be an amazing natural environment to be celebrated, enjoyed and protected.
“We understand this is not the silver bullet to the plastic and sewage challenges we are experiencing. Multi-stakeholder action is needed to improve the dire state of our freshwater ecosystems. Manufacturers should invest in the development of sustainable plastic-free alternatives; water companies must invest in upgrading sewage infrastructure and be less reliant on sewage overflows; and consumers need to do their part and dispose of their waste correctly, flushing down only the 3 Ps (pee, poo, and paper) and discarding anything else in the bin.”
Thames21 has been working with citizen scientists, the Port of London Authority (PLA) and Tideway since 2017 to gather data on the sewage-derived wet wipes found on the Thames. The Big Wet Wipe Count events collect and monitor the impact these wipes have on the river, having counted more than 135,000 over the years.
Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability at the Port of London Authority, said: “We support Thames21’s campaign to ban plastic in wet wipes because tackling microplastics at source is a key part of our plans for a cleaner river with richer biodiversity.
“Although the super sewer will help, a ban on plastic in wet wipes is needed to prevent more microplastics entering our river, and the wider eco-system.
“We are grateful to Thames21 for continuing to bang the drum for our iconic River Thames.”
