Wet wipes and ketchup sachets could be banned in government crackdown on single-use plastic

Wet wipes and ketchup sachets could be banned in England under plans to tackle plastic pollution, the Government will announce today.

The plans are the next step in the Government’s attempt to end plastic litter, which includes an intended ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene containers.

England uses an estimated 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of single-use cutlery, mostly made of plastic, every year.

A 12-week consultation will look at whether these items should be banned, following an earlier ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds made of plastic.

The Government also wants to charge for single-use items such as the 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups used every year, and cutlery made from other materials such as wood.

The Government will also ask for opinions on whether it should go further by either banning or charging for plastic sachets, wet wipes and other single-use cups, and forcing tobacco manufacturers to pay for cigarette butt littering.

George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, said it was “time we left our throwaway culture behind once and for all”.

Last month, Boris Johnson said recycling “does not work” because so little plastic is turned into something new, and said people should instead reduce their reliance on single-use.

But the Government faces criticism over long delays to plans for a deposit return scheme, making producers responsible for plastic waste and introducing consistent recycling.

Biodegradable and compostable plates, cutlery and packaging could be spared from the ban, despite the Government saying they want them to be included because of concerns they spread plastic pollution when disposed of incorrectly.

There are also concerns that new legislation could simply encourage a move to single-use items made from other materials, which could have unforeseen consequences.

Prof Mark Miodownik of UCL’s Plastic Waste Innovation Hub said: “The government needs to be careful that manufacturers don’t switch from single-use plastics to single-use biodegradable plastics, our analysis shows this rarely helps the environment.”

Around 10 billion plastic wet wipes used in the UK every year are the biggest contributor to fatbergs that clog up sewers, and one of the most common items of litter found on British beaches.

Some wet wipes that proclaim to be “flushable” are not, and are adding to the fatberg problem. The Government has said it could set mandatory labelling standards so that people know whether their wipes really can be flushed.

‘We can’t just tinker at the edges’

Campaigners have long called for a ban on single-use sachets such as those used for ketchup and other condiments, and for beauty samples including perfume.

A recent survey found that 80 per cent of people support a ban on the items, which are rarely recycled because of their size and the difficulty in cleaning them.

Paula Chin from WWF said: “Phasing out single-use plastic won’t solve the problem on its own.

“The UK government needs to lead the way in global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, including ensuring that producers take full responsibility for the waste from the products they sell by urgently introducing a comprehensive deposit return scheme, and consistent recycling collections from homes and businesses across the UK.”

Nina Schrank, a plastics expert at Greenpeace said: “We can’t just keep running consultations which tinker at the edges of the problem and further delay action.

“We need an overarching target in law for reducing single-use plastic, at least a 50 per cent reduction by 2025, and the government needs to deliver on its past promises.”