What are biodegradable wet wipes?

How do they work?

As with most things these days, regular wet wipes contain plastic, and this plastic is harmful to our environment as well as marine life if not disposed of correctly, because these wet wipes find their way into our oceans and contribute to the global epidemic that is sea pollution.

Biodegradable wipes have been created to combat this issue, and provide an eco-friendly alternative that won't have as great an impact on our environment. Biodegradable wet wipes and biodegradable baby wipes are often plant-based which is why they are less harmful to the environment.

NIVEA's Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Wipes

  • To show NIVEA's commitment to becoming even more eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable, we've created the NIVEA Biodegradable Cleansing Wipes that are made with 100% renewable plant fibres.
  • These face wipes contain no traces of plastic but still provide you with all the things you love about NIVEA Cleansing Wipes, and are just as effective at removing traces of dirt, and makeup. They expertly cleanse, refresh and care for your skin using Organic Aloe Vera making them perfect for even sensitive skin, and are enriched with Organic Argan Oil to give you that luxurious feeling you're used to.
  • Plastic fibres are not used to create biodegradable wet wipes and they have natural ingredients, which allows them to biodegrade and minimise their environmental impact.

NIVEA Biodegradable Cleansing Wipes

Uses of wet wipes

Wet wipes are a great alternative for quick and easy cleansing when you need it most and have a number of different uses:

What impact do wet wipes have on the environment?

Waste of any kind is bad for the environment, but wet wipes have proved to be particularly bad because of the volume at which they're used and incorrectly disposed of, with people not realising the effect they have on the environment when this happens.

The U.K. have seen a number of instances in recent years of this:

1.  Fatbergs

Flushing wet wipes causes fatbergs to form which ultimately clog our sewage systems and the over-spill leads to ocean contamination. Huge fatbergs, made up of wet wipes, fat, and grease of sizes up to 250m have been found all across the country in places like London and Devon.

 

These fatbergs were found clogging sewage pipes that took 8-9 weeks each to remove, which shows just how many wet wipes are flushed and discarded by people in the U.K. The problem doesn't stop in the U.K., it extends to every country around the world.

 

This is why it's important not to flush any wet wipes and dispose of them properly by using bins and composting where possible, whether it be regular wet wipes or biodegradable baby wipes and biodegradable face wipes.

2. Plastic Riverbeds

Flushed wet wipes also cause problems in riverbeds where microplastics are being found more and more often. Rivers in the U.K. have been found to be some of the most polluted waterways in the world putting not only marine life at risk but also humans as we ingest seafood that may be contaminated because of this.

 

Wet wipes are a main contributor to this type of pollution, and we still don't know the long-term effects of ingesting plastic particles. As well of disposing of regular wet wipes and face wipes correctly, introducing biodegradable face wipes, and biodegradable baby wipes into our everyday lives can have a big impact on the amount of plastic pollution we are creating, not only for our sea life but also for ourselves.

Tips to become more eco-friendly

Things to remember when using all wet wipes:

  • Never flush your wet wipes - even when biodegradable wet wipes are used, they still take time to biodegrade. Some wet wipes are even declared as 'flushable wet wipes', and the BBC reported that they had not even passed the flush test so far, so you should always dispose of them in a bin.
  • Biodegradable face wipes and biodegradable baby wipes are still often packaged in plastic to keep them fresh and make sure they don't dry out, so think about reusing that plastic once it has served its purpose.

Other simple ways you can become more eco-friendly in day to day life

  • Recycle all your plastics, paper, glass, and cans
  • Compost all your food waste
  • Instead of using plastic bags for your weekly shop think about buying a reusable bag
  • Ride a bike to work once a week rather than driving to reduce your carbon footprint
  • Make sure you turn the lights off in your house when you go out or go to bed to reduce the amount of energy you're using, and also reduce your energy bills!
  • Spend less time in the shower - reduce your water wastage by limiting your shower time