Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned from sale in UK
Wet wipes containing plastic will be banned from being sold in the UK, with legislation expected to be announced by Environment Secretary Steve Barclay today.
The government is planning to introduce the legislation before parliament’s summer recess begins in July.
The new law will make it illegal to sell wet wipes containing plastic in England, before being rolled out to cover the rest of the UK in autumn.
Discarded wet wipes frequently litter Britain’s beaches and eventually break down into microplastics, which contribute to water pollution and damage ecosystems.
Numerous retailers – including Boots, Aldi and Tesco – have already moved to ban them from their shelves.
Mr Barclay has said the ban “builds on a raft of actions already taken to protect our waterways and hold water companies accountable”.
The other actions include “accelerating investment, putting water company fines back into the environment and quadrupling the number of inspections of water company sites”, he said.
However, Labour has said the legislation does not go far enough and is calling for “a full ban on the sale, supply and manufacture of plastic wet wipes”.
They’ve also pointed out that the Conservatives first promised to ban wet wipes in 2018.
Click to subscribe to ClimateCast with Tom Heap wherever you get your podcasts
Today’s proposal comes following a consultation that revealed there is overwhelming support for the move and campaigners have welcomed the news – while also calling for the government to go further.
Jane Martin, chief executive of environmental organisation City To Sea, said: “It’s a positive step forward to see the government take definitive action on banning this pollutant, but action must not end there.
“The government should now look to tackle all single-use plastic products through further bans and mandated reuse and refill targets.”
Read more from Sky News:
Plastics crisis ‘out of control’
Why beach cleans matter
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Parliament’s summer recess begins on 23 July and the bill is expected to be introduced before then.
With a general election expected later this year, ministers will have limited time to pass the law.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
Read more from Sky News:
Survivor reflects on five years on from COVID
At least 12 people injured in shooting in Toronto
By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports11 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway