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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton Environment reporter

DARK SECRETS: Make wet wipe producers pay for polluting england s waterways says report | Rare Historical Photos

Volunteer removing  wet wipes by digging through muddy riverbank
A volunteer removes polluting waste during the Big Wet Wipe Count on the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge in London in 2022. Photograph: The Guardian

Wet wipe producers should be charged to remove their pollution from England’s waterways, the author of a government review into reforming the sector has said.

Sewage has been a critical factor in the devastating pollution of our waterways, but other sources of pollution include microplastics, consumer products such as wet wipes, and the byproducts of modern manufacturing, such asPfas (“forever chemicals”), as well as fertiliser and pesticides from farming. Many of these have been linked to harmful effects on human health and the natural environment.

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