Angling Trust calls for tougher wet wipes ban to protect rivers and coastal waters

The Angling Trust has expressed concerns about the government’s draft regulations to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England, warning that significant loopholes could undermine the regulation’s intended environmental benefits.

Published this month, the Environmental Protection (Wet Wipes Containing Plastic) (England) Regulations 2025 draft SI aim to reduce the pollution of waterways by prohibiting the supply of plastic-containing wet wipes. These wipes are a major source of microplastic pollution, which can seriously harm aquatic wildlife such as fish, and frequently blight riverbanks and estuaries, especially after heavy rainfall and flooding.

However, the Angling Trust says the draft legislation falls short in several key areas.

Dr Emily Smith, Head of Environment at the Angling Trust, said: “While we welcome the government’s commitment to addressing plastic pollution from wet wipes, we’re concerned that the current draft regulations leave the door open to continued environmental harm. If these regulations go through unchanged, they risk being more symbolic than effective.”

Concerns over Narrow Scope

The regulations apply only to non-woven wet wipes containing plastic, which means woven wipes or non-plastic wipes – still often single-use and frequently flushed – are excluded.

“These products, whether plastic or not, can still clog up our sewers and end up littering our rivers and coastlines,” Dr Smith added. “A meaningful ban must include all types of single-use wet wipes that pose a risk to our water environment.”

Loophole in Business Supply

The Trust is also alarmed by the draft regulation’s exemptions around business use. While the sale of plastic-containing wet wipes to consumers would be banned, the regulations allow their continued supply to a wide range of businesses and public bodies.

Although originally intended to allow NHS and similar essential services to continue limited use, the wording of the regulations currently allows suppliers to provide wet wipes to almost any business or organisation for internal use. This includes commercial cleaning companies, hospitality venues, and other non-essential sectors.

Dr Smith said: “This goes well beyond the scope discussed in earlier consultations. We fear this exemption is wide enough to allow business-as-usual for many sectors. If these products remain widely available for commercial use, they will inevitably continue to leak into the wider environment.”

Lack of Labelling Requirements

Another concern raised by the Angling Trust is the absence of updated labelling rules. The government has previously written to producers asking them to reconsider the word ‘flushable’ on packaging.  However, the new draft regulations make no mention of labelling requirements, despite flushing being a primary cause of sewer blockages and environmental contamination. The Angling Trust would like to see mandatory “do not flush” wording on all wet wipes packaging – including woven and non-plastic wipes.

Environmental and Public Support

The Trust’s intervention follows similar warnings raised in the recent Cunliffe Review, which highlighted the severe environmental impact of wet wipes and other ‘unflushables’ such as sanitary products and fats and oils. The review called for immediate legislation and improved public awareness campaigns to change consumer behaviour.

Wales has already passed a similar ban on wet wipes containing plastic, and Scotland is considering action. The Angling Trust is now urging the government to revise its proposed legislation to ensure it delivers real environmental protection.

“We need a robust and comprehensive ban that prevents harmful products from entering our rivers and seas,” said Dr Smith. “Anglers are on the front line of this problem, seeing wet wipes pollution first hand along our waterways. We urge Defra to close the loopholes, extend the scope, and stand firm in protecting our environment.”

You can read the draft version of the Regulations here

The Angling Trust’s Anglers Against Pollution campaign is supported by Orvis and Angling Direct, while our Anglers Against Litter initiative is sponsored by Shimano.

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