What are the plastic free options for wet wipes?

Readers will be aware of the UK consultation on the proposed ban on the manufacture, supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in October 2023 (DEFRA, 2023). A lot of retail wet wipes within the UK (B2C transactions) have already transitioned to "Plastic free" materials. This article looks at materials that are currently considered to be plastic free according to guidelines. (Commission Notice 2021/C216/01) issued by the European Commission following the coming into force of Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

In the first instant the vast majority of plastic free alternatives for wet wipe substrates will be derived from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forestry in the form of regenerated cellulose fibres such as viscose or Lyocell or composites of Viscose or Lyocell with wood pulp. There are other plastic free fibres currently fabricated at a smaller scale that are derived from annual “forest friendly” regenerative crops such as bast fibres.

The article also highlights that today it is the European Commission that has given greatest consideration to a definition of "plastic" with respect to single use wiping products.

The full article can be downloaded here