Holland & Barrett have banned the sale of wet wipes from all of their Irish and UK stores.

The company has become the first major high street store to stop the sale of the product due to environmental reasons. Although many brands of wet wipes are labeled as 'flushable,' they do not biodegrade quick enough and often lead to severe blockages, or fatbergs, in sewerage systems. Holland & Barrett will stop selling all 34 branded and own-label wet wipes in their 800 UK and Ireland stores from July. Instead, they will replace the wipes with more environmentally sustainable alternatives like cotton cloths, cotton pads, exfoliating gloves, and unbleached cotton muslin cloths. Head of beauty at Holland & Barrett Joanne Cooke said that the company wants to encourage people to think about their waste habits when they shop. “There is a growing awareness of how much our current throwaway culture is damaging our oceans, beaches and rivers,” she said. “We want to encourage our customers to think about what they currently throw away and encourage them to swap to more sustainable alternatives. The quickest way for us all to make a positive impact on the world we live in is to choose to spend our money on more sustainable products.” According to EarthWatch Institute, almost 10 million wipes are flushed down toilets in the UK every day. Most of these are used as makeup removers or hand sanitisers. In 2017, a "total monster" of a fatberg was discovered blocking the sewerage system in London. The mass was made up of fat, wet wipes, grease, and nappies, and required the efforts of a team of workmen with shovels to break it up. It was estimated to have weighed 130 tonnes and stretched for over 250 metres.

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During May, Her will be doing some more #ConsciousBits. Over the month, we'll be learning how to re-use more than we buy, examining the sheer amount of waste the planet produces, and considering the many, many benefits of sustainable fashion choices.  We'll also be chatting to some people who have made sustainability a priority, while setting ourselves a few environmentally conscious challenges along the way.  Change is daunting and we're not perfect, but we can always try to do our bit. Our conscious bit.  You can follow the rest of the #ConsciousBits series here or follow our Instagram account for more related content.  Want to get in touch? Email us at jade@her.ie.