Wet wipe producer charges may happen on the ‘polluter pays’ principle for the pollution they contribute to England’s waterways, according to a recent government review focused on reforming the water sector.
Sir Jon Cunliffe, the author and a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, pointed to the urgency of tackling various pollution sources impacting the nation’s rivers and seas, including microplastics, polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) and by-products of modern manufacturing as well as fertiliser and pesticides from farming. Many of these have been linked to harmful effects on human health and the natural environment
The fairest way to deal with this, Sir Jon Cunliffe, said, could be to apply the “polluter pays” principle, whereby the company behind the pollution contributes towards its removal [through wet wipe producer charges]. “The alternative is for everyone to pay for it through their bills, and the question is, should we spread that among everybody, or should we go through a polluter pays route? So I think, really, we should look at those routes,” he said.
The Guardian reports that water companies claim that wet wipes, which shed microplastic particles and also build up into major blockages, are the main cause of sewage pollution. John Penicud, Southern Water’s managing director for wastewater, said recently that “the majority of wastewater pollutions are caused by wet wipes, fats, oils and grease being flushed down toilets and sinks”, and called for wet wipes to be banned.