The ban prohibits the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic. Wales goes first on 18 December 2026 (WSI 2025/716), followed by Northern Ireland on 18 May 2027 (NISR 2025/178), England on 19 May 2027 (SI 2025/1218, which commences 18 months after it was made on 18 November 2025) and Scotland on 11 August 2027 (SSI 2026/75), so Scotland is about three months behind rather than aligned. The England regulations were debated in the Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee on 3 November 2025 (moved by Gen Kitchen) and Lords Grand Committee on 10 November 2025. Manufacturers are switching to plastic-free viscose and cellulose wipes.
The evidence behind it: about 31 billion wipes were sold in the UK in 2021, of which the Scottish Government's impact assessment estimates a quarter to a half contained plastic, and Marine Conservation Society beach surveys find an average of 20 wipes per 100 metres of beach.
Status as at September 2026: adopted in all four nations; first commencement in Wales in December 2026. Dates verified against WSI 2025/716, NISR 2025/178, SI 2025/1218 and SSI 2026/75 (legislation.gov.uk) on 23 September 2026.