Holland & Barrett to stop selling wet wipes in fight against fatbergs

Wet wipes are said to account for around 80% of blockages in sewers, costing an estimated £100m a year to clear

Holland & Barrett has pledged to take wet wipes off its shelves across 800 UK and Ireland stores from September in its effort to fight against fatbergs.

It has become the first retailer in the UK to ban wet wipes, which are said to account for around 80% of blockages in sewers, costing an estimated £100 million a year to clear.

Around 9.3 million wipes are flushed down the toilets every day in the country, making their way to the world’s oceans, rivers and sewage systems.

Traditional wet wipes are made from polyester and contain millions of chemical microfibres – once in the water, they are released and cause the death and destruction of marine species.

Holland & Barrett said its entire wet wipes range will be replaced with environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives, including muslin cloths, cotton pads and natural exfoliating mitts.

Head of Beauty Joanne Cooke said: “There is a growing awareness of how much our current throwaway culture is damaging our oceans, beaches and rivers. We want to encourage our customers to think about what they currently throw away and encourage them to swap to more sustainable alternatives.

“The quickest way for us all to make a positive impact on the world we live in is to choose to spend our money on more sustainable products.”

The retailer is also looking at ways to reduce its use of non-recyclable materials and aims to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2023.

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