Holland & Barrett banishes wet wipes

HOLLAND & Barrett will become the first high street retailer to stop selling wet wipes.

The health food chain has pledged to rid all 800 of its UK and Ireland stores of the disposable wipes by the end of September.

Wet wipes – made from synthetic fibres – have become a source of concern for environmentalists and water companies.

When flushed into domestic sewer systems, the wipes can cause blockages becuase they do not disintegrate fully. And if washed out to sea, they pollute waters and can be potentially harmful to marine life.

Around 9.3million wet wipes are flushed down toilets each day.

Holland & Barrett said 34 products in its wet wipe range are being delisted and will be removed from domestic and all participating stores.

Now, it is calling on other retailers to follow suit with a ban. While some wet wipes are marketed as biodegradable, water companies say they still remain intact for long periods of time – and advise against flushing them.

Jo Ruxton, founder of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, said: ‘Single use, disposable wet wipes... still come in plastic packaging, and still get flushed down the loo or thrown in the bin.’

She praised Holland & Barrett’s ban and urged other retailers to join the ‘mission’ to make the high street ‘more environmentally-conscious’.

Holland & Barrett said it will replace its current wet wipe products with reusable alternatives such as cotton cloths and pads.

Joanne Cooke, of Holland & Barrett, said: ‘We want to encourage our customers to think about what they currently throw away and encourage them to swap to more sustainable alternatives.’

The extent of wet wipes’ impact on water systems has been highlighted in the discovery of ‘fatbergs’. The congealed blobs, made of wet wipes and other waste, have been found nationwide – with one in Devon taking more than eight weeks to remove.

‘Switch to sustainable alternatives’