Wet wipes have long been an indispensable part of our household essentials. Given the wide range of their types and applications, it’s no wonder that numbers in the global wet wipes market are skyrocketing. The industry is surging in popularity, boosting wet wipes manufacturing and consumption.
While the industry is growing, so are the problems caused by their consumption growth. Despite their demand in our daily life, there are many household essentials such as wet wipes that are terrible for the environment. With the significant production increase, these industries need to come up with safer components for their products to be environmentally friendly.
Why Wet Wipes are Dangerous for the Environment
A significant rise has been recorded in wet wipes waste found on beaches, around rivers, and canals. With the booming industry growth, there’s an increasing concern about their environmental impact. The main problem with wet wipes is that most of the brands are made of spunlace—the combination of different fibers that contain Polyester and Polypropylene that do not biodegrade. This means that the products are not supposed to be flushed down the toilet. Despite the product being non-flushable, the water and sewerage companies reported that wet wipes are among the most widespread materials causing blockages. This causes terrible damage to the natural world. More and more companies around the globe are trying to raise awareness of the problem, encouraging the brands to come up with safer ways of production.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Wet Wipes
Wet wipes can still bring ease and convenience to our lives while keeping our environment safe. You can either live with the fact that you can’t flush wet wipes, go for the biodegradable wet wipes option, or use DIY wipes.
The companies that still manufacture non-flushable wet wipes need to go the extra mile with labeling, making it extremely clear for the consumers that they should never flush wet wipes. In fact, this is also true about the so-called flushable wipes. No matter how biodegradable a baby wipe is, it will still have difficulties dissolving fast enough to avoid blockages.
Another option to keep the environment safe is to encourage brands to produce plastic-free and plant-based options that are biodegradable. The so-called flushable and biodegradable wipes are now being promoted as a means to reduce environmental waste. Although it’s still better to stop flushing wet wipes, these wipes will considerably reduce the amount of waste, as there are no plastics in their composition.
There are different kinds of eco-friendly wipes or alternatives you can opt for, ranging from reusable washcloths to DIY disposable baby wipes.
The main advantage of eco wipes is that they are plastic-free and are made of biodegradable materials such as bamboo. There are also reusable and washable wipes that not only get you out of that vicious waste cycle but are a cost-effective alternative. As most of these wipes are composed of organic cotton and are thick enough, they can be regularly washed and reused.
Another advantageous and safe option is making your own wet wipes. The DIY wipes are the safest and most convenient option to keep everything around you clean—environment included.
Most of the time, we speak of wet wipes damaging our ecosystem; however, some of them may be extremely dangerous for your skin as well. While making your wipes, you know for sure what’s in there before removing your makeup or cleaning your baby’s bottom. Plus, there won’t be any single-use plastic to worry about.
The advantages of eco wipes are endless, and they certainly need to be a top priority in waste reduction all around the globe. Be part of the change and opt for eco-friendly wet wipes and other household essentials!
