Parents furious over government pledge to 'eliminate' wet wipes in UK

‘Mate, have you tried wiping a baby’s bum with a tissue?’

Parents have expressed outrage after the government said it planned to "eliminate" wet wipes in the UK within 25 years.

A statement for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said wet wipes would be among the "avoidable plastic waste" it aimed to banish as part of its environmental plan.

But despite the detrimental effects of the product in clogging up sewers and can killing marine life when flushed down the toilet, a number of parents insisted it was a necessity for those with children.

“Never thought I could be this angry over them wanting to ban wet wipes in the UK,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Saying they’re gonna turn to ‘tissues’ [sic].

“Mate, have you tried wiping a baby’s bum with a tissue?”

“As a parent I can tell you that is a god awful idea,” an individual wrote on Facebook.

“Wet wipes are literally god’s gift to the world they work on everything.”

Several people pointed out that not all parents flush wet wipes down the toilet and that any ban on them could be deemed unfair.

“Ban the fools that flush them!” one person wrote, while another commented: “Can’t believe people are stupid enough to flush them down the toilet.

“Responsibility lies within the consumer too!!”

Others also pointed out that wet wipes can be especially beneficial for those with disabilities.

“There are disabled people that need easier hygiene products though. I have friends that need these,” on Twitter user said.

“If they are not flushed, and made of biodegradable ingredients, isn’t that different? Abled people rarely think of these considerations I notice.”

The spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated that the organisation was working with manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes to make sure the labelling clearly states how to dispose of them efficiently.