Scotland to ban wipes containing plastic

The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027 under regulations published on 13th Feb. 

Wet wipes containing plastic are a common and persistent source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the natural environment.

The measures will include exemptions for medical and industrial uses as well as business-to-business sales. Members of the public who require specific wet wipes containing plastic for medical or healthcare reasons will also be able to request these from a pharmacy.

Scotland are the last of the four nations to bring in a ban on wet wipes containing plastic. The ban in Wales will be effective from 18 December 2026, Northern Ireland from 18 May 2027, and England from the 19 May 2027.

You can read the announcement from the Scottish Government on this here: Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned - gov.scot