Spain aims to ban flushing of wet wipes, with manufacturers paying for cleanup

According to the law’s outline, wet wipes and balloons are among the single-use plastic items most commonly found on beaches. Photograph: Marine Conservation Society/PA

The Spanish government is preparing a law that will oblige wet wipe manufacturers to cover the costs of cleaning huge wads of their product from the country’s clogged-up sewers and water-treatment plants.

The draft legislation, which is intended to help Spain meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and comply with EU legislation on reducing single-use plastic products, will also ban people from disposing of wet wipes down the toilet, as well as prohibiting the deliberate release of disposable party balloons containing plastic into the environment because of the marine pollution they cause.