The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wet Wipes) (Wales) Regulations 2025

Made: 18 June 2025

Coming into force: 18 December 2026

In accordance with section 21(3) of the Act, a draft of these Regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, Senedd Cymru.

Title, coming into force and interpretation

1

• (1) The title of these Regulations is the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wet Wipes) (Wales) Regulations 2025.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 18 December 2026.

• (3) In these Regulations, “the Act” (“y Ddeddf”) means the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Act 2023.

Amendment of paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Act

2

• (1) The table in paragraph 1 of the Schedule (prohibited single-use plastic products) to the Act is amended as follows.

• (2) Under the heading “other products”, after the entry for “cotton buds” insert—

Amendment of paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Act

3

At the appropriate places in paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Act insert—

• “medical” (“meddygol”) includes surgical;

• “treatment” (“triniaeth”) includes diagnosis;

• “wet wipe” (“weip wlyb”) means a non-woven piece of fabric which has been pre-wetted.

Signed

Huw Irranca-Davies — Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, one of the Welsh Ministers — 18th June 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Act 2023 (“the Act”). They are made under powers conferred by section 3(1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Act.

Regulation 2 adds “wet wipes” to the list of prohibited single-use plastic products in column 1 of the table at paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Act. This amendment makes a wet wipe that meets the definition of a single-use plastic product a prohibited single-use plastic product for the purposes of the Act.

Regulation 2 also provides for an exemption to the prohibition, by amending column 2 of the table at paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Act. The exemption applies to single-use wet wipes that contain plastic that are designed or manufactured to be used in connection with medical care or treatment.

Regulation 3 adds the definitions of “wet wipe”, “medical” and “treatment” to paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Act, for the purpose of the table at paragraph 1 of the Schedule.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.

Footnotes

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