Intelligence: The Wet Wipe Conundrum

Wet wipes have become embedded in our hygiene routines. We used them to remove makeup, to clean our hands before eating, and to disinfect our kitchen surfaces. We trust them to be sensitive on babies’ skin and they’re a substitute ‘shower’ when we’re camping or travelling. They’re incredibly convenient, which is why the UK uses around 11 billion of them every year, around 200 per person. But as most of them contain plastic they’re also an environmental disaster, so the UK is proposing to ban them.