The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027, under new regulations published on 13 February, giving retailers and suppliers an 18-month transition period to prepare.
The move forms part of a wider UK-wide crackdown on plastic-containing wipes, with bans also set for Wales (18 December 2026), England (19 May 2027) and Northern Ireland (18 May 2027). All four nations are introducing measures of the same scope following a 2023 consultation in which more than 93 per cent of respondents backed the ban.
Wet wipes containing plastic are a significant contributor to marine litter and can break down into harmful microplastics. They are also responsible for major sewer blockages, creating both environmental and operational challenges.
Scottish Water said it clears around 35,000 sewer blockages each year at a cost of approximately £10 million, largely caused by wipes being flushed incorrectly.
Climate Action secretary Gillian Martin said plastic-containing wipes were an “unnecessary single-use item, for which more environmentally friendly alternatives already exist”, adding the ban builds on previous restrictions covering products such as plastic straws, cutlery and single-use vapes.
“These policies are all proof of the progress we are making towards protecting our environment and creating a more circular economy,” Martin added. “In addition, we will continue to call on the UK government to address issues such as misleading claims on product packaging which can lead to incorrect disposal of items such as wet wipes.”
Exemptions will apply for medical and industrial uses, as well as business-to-business supply. Consumers who need plastic-containing wipes for healthcare purposes will still be able to obtain them via pharmacies.
Environmental data highlights the scale of the issue, with monitoring between 2015 and 2020 finding an average of 20 wet wipes per 100 metres of UK beach surveyed.