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The ban is believed to be part of a broader initiative to improve water quality across the UK called Plan for Water. Plastic wet wipes could be banned in England under government water plan The government is considering banning plastic wet wipes as part of a plan to tackle water pollution.
Conservative environment minister Therese Coffey said a ban could come in as early as next year after consultation.
Wet wipes flushed down the toilet cause 93% of sewer blockages and cost around £100m a year to fix, said Water UK, the body representing the water industry.
About 90% of these wipes contain plastics, but there are alternatives to their use, which is why the government is calling for a ban.
However, opposition and environmental groups have criticized the move, saying it is weak and does not go far enough. So what does the ban on baby wipes actually entail, and how have people reacted to it?
The government plans to ban the sale of plastic wet wipes from next year.
It is part of a broader government initiative called the Water Plan, which involves the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) working to improve water quality in England.
Under a ban, the government wants to see more investment from water companies, tougher regulation, and tougher enforcement for polluters.
It also includes consultations on a ban on plastic in wet wipes and restrictions on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fire fighting foams, textiles, cleaning products, paints and varnishes.
And Ms Coffey said on Saturday that water companies could face unlimited penalties for dumping sewage.
Conservative environment minister Therese Coffey said the ban could come as soon as next year after consultation. (Jacob King/AP)
The sale of the vast majority of wet wipes - those that contain plastic - would be prohibited in the United Kingdom.
Several companies, including the Boots drugstore chain and supermarket giant Tesco, have already stopped stocking and selling the wipes, so it is believed that other stores are following suit.
All fully biodegradable wet wipe options could still sell, but the vast majority of these products contain plastics that don't break down, meaning they clog pipes over time.
The government has said it will work with industry to create green alternatives to wet wipes.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it had asked water companies to speed up investment in infrastructure to prevent wastewater discharges, reduce nutrient pollution and improve the resilience of water supplies to drought.
The regulator Ofwat is considering approving 31 schemes worth £1.6 billion and is accepting public comments until April 24.
Ms Coffey said: 'Our rare chalk streams and world famous coastlines, lakes and rivers are very important to local communities and nature.
A sewage blockage caused by removing a wet wipe
“I fully understand people's concerns about the health and resiliency of our waters, which is why I present this plan as a truly national effort to protect and improve them.
“This includes higher fines extracted from the profits of water companies that will be pumped back into the rivers, lakes and streams where they are needed.
"It's not easy, but I take this problem very seriously and things have to change. That's why we've come up with this plan and we're committed to making the progress people want to see."
Ms Coffey is expected to outline her department's plans in a speech at the London Wetland Center on Tuesday.
Activists have shown mixed support, with many saying the government's plan does not go far enough to address problems of water supply and quality.
River Action UK, an environmental charity, told the BBC the government must have been "asleep at the wheel" for years, allowing rivers to "fill up with untreated human effluent and toxic agricultural pollution".
CEO Charles Watson said: "How can Defra credibly announce 'tighter regulation and stricter enforcement' when today there is not a single commitment from the government to put their money in their mouths and properly refinance the legal agencies of environmental Protection?"
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: "After years of hiding their heads, ministers have finally surfaced to tackle the scourge of sewage and pollution in our waterways and along our coasts." .
“Clearly, the Tories can also smell a local election on the air and only act in response to public pressure.
“Actions are too little and too late and still leave the water industry in private hands capable of profiting from failure.
“The Green Party wants to see a change in the system, with our water supply returned to public ownership as soon as possible. »
Labour's shadow secretary for the environment, Jim McMahon, said: "This announcement is nothing more than a reorganization of deckchairs and a repeat of old failed measures that simply give the green light for the dumping of sewage to continue for decades".
"This is the third farce by a Tory water source since the summer. There is nothing in it to tell us how, if or when they will end the Tory sewage scandal."
Responding to plans to accelerate investment in water infrastructure, Ali Morse, head of water policy at The Wildlife Trusts, said: “This investment is imperative and we urge the government to ensure projects start as soon as possible.
“Water companies develop long-term plans for water supply and wastewater, which include environmental improvements, but these need to happen over decades; our waters and our wildlife cannot wait.
"We must seize every opportunity to advance this essential investment if we are to have any chance of halting the decline of nature by 2030, as required by law and society."
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