Written Statement: Update on the timetable and proposals to introduce legislation to ban the supply of wet wipes containing plastic

I am pleased to confirm the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wet Wipes) (Wales) Regulations 2025 to prohibit the supply (including for free) and offer to supply, of single-use wet wipes containing plastic in Wales were laid on 6 May 2025. 

These Regulations will be another crucial step in reducing pollution from plastic and microplastics which plague our environment. This is a positive step in protecting our communities, wildlife and ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.

Since my last Written Statement on 22 April 2024, we have continued working closely with all UK Governments in developing the wet wipes policy on a four-nation basis and in the context of our groundbreaking Welsh legislation - the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Act 2023. For these reasons, these Regulations contain some minor changes to the position set out in my previous statement:

• A specific exemption for industrial use is not required in Wales, as the offences of ‘supply’ or ‘offer to supply’ only apply to ‘consumers’, who are defined as ‘individual(s) acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual’s trade, business or profession’
• The anticipated exemption to allow pharmacies to continue supplying wet wipes with plastic content has been simplified to allow the continued supply of plastic containing wet wipes in any setting if they are ‘designed or manufactured for use in connection with medical care or treatment’
• The definition of wet wipe has also been simplified, and our intention is to define this as ‘a non-woven piece of fabric which has been pre-wetted’

These changes have not impacted our intended outcome of restricting the availability of wet wipes with plastic content nor have they restricted availability where alternatives are either unsuitable or unavailable. The policy continues to align with those agreed by all UK nations.

To accommodate these changes and ensure compliance with obligations under the World Trade Organisation, we anticipate, subject to the will of the Senedd, a coming into force date in Wales in December 2026. 

We expect this timetable to be broadly in line with the other UK nations and believe any small difference in timing arising throughout the UK is manageable for manufacturers and retailers.