Holland & Barrett to stop selling damaging wet wipes

HOLLAND & BARRETT has become the first high street chain to stop selling wet wipes.

The health food shop will remove all 34 products in the range from its 800 UK and Ireland stores from the end of September as part of efforts to limit the damage they cause to water systems.

Holland & Barrett plan to replace the wet wipes with sustainable, waste-free and reusable alternatives such as double-sided cotton cloths, unbleached cotton muslin cloths and cotton pads.

Millions of wet wipes are sold in the UK every year, with uses ranging from make-up removal to surface cleaners, with increasing numbers causing problems in sewers and waterways.

Volunteers for the Marine Conservation Society’s annual beach clean last year found an average of 12 wet wipes per 100 metres of beach cleaned and surveyed, an increase of more than 300 per cent in the last decade.

Sewer-blocking fatbergs, which are mainly caused by a build-up of wet wipes, oils and grease, have also increased in frequency in recent years.

Industry body Water UK has introduced a “fine to flush” symbol for wet wipe products that have passed testing.

But Holland & Barrett said such moves did not go far enough and is calling on other retailers to follow its lead.

Joanne Cooke, head of beauty at the company, said that it wanted to “encourage customers to think about what they currently throw away”.

Jo Ruxton, founder of Plastic Oceans Foundation, said he was “delighted” that Holland & Barrett was taking “a clear lead on sustainability”.