{"id":680700,"date":"2025-07-20T03:10:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T00:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-some-biodegradable-wet-wipes-can-be-terrible-for-the-environment\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T03:10:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T00:10:19","slug":"why-some-biodegradable-wet-wipes-can-be-terrible-for-the-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-some-biodegradable-wet-wipes-can-be-terrible-for-the-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Why some &#8216;biodegradable&#8217; wet wipes can be terrible for the environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aee5d5770780\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aee5d5770780\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-some-biodegradable-wet-wipes-can-be-terrible-for-the-environment\/#The_dangers_of_non-plastics\" >The dangers of non-plastics<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/wet-wipes.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/wet-wipes.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/wet-wipes.jpg\" alt=\"wet wipes\" title=\"Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Have you felt disgust when taking a walk along the riverside or plunging into the sea to escape the summer heat, only to spy a used wet wipe floating along the surface? Or shock at finding out that animals have died <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0025326X19304230\" target=\"_blank\">choking on plastic products<\/a> or that the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/13\/11\/1736\" target=\"_blank\">seafood we eat may be contaminated with microfibers<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>These pollutants are common in our waterways because of the mismanagement of sewage and in<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate disposal that flush hygiene products and microfibers into rivers and oceans. In the UK alone, more than <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mcsuk.org\/news\/our-seas-are-swimming-in-wet-wipes-its-time-to-take-action\/\" target=\"_blank\">11 billion wet wipes are thrown away annually<\/a>. Wet wipe litter was <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mcsuk.org\/what-you-can-do\/campaigns\/ban-plastic-in-wet-wipes\/\" target=\"_blank\">found on 72% of UK beaches in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They persist because they&#8217;re made of plastic, a durable material that won&#8217;t easily degrade. Plastic can last for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8733533\/\" target=\"_blank\">decades to hundreds of years<\/a>. Therefore, governments and manufacturers are eagerly encouraging the use of non-plastics as more &#8220;sustainable&#8221; alternatives, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/uk-wide-ban-on-wet-wipes-containing-plastic-to-be-put-into-law\" target=\"_blank\">with the UK banning plastic in wet wipes in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These textiles can be made from plant or animal fibers such as cotton and wool, or they may be chemically and physically modified, such as rayon or viscose. They are often labeled &#8220;biodegradable&#8221; on product packaging, suggesting they are environmentally friendly, break down quickly, and are a safe alternative to plastics. But is this really the case?<\/p>\n<p>My <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-1716-5103\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a> focuses on investigating the environmental impact of these non-plastic textiles and their persistence in waterways. My colleagues and I have found that <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2515-7620\/add860\/meta\" target=\"_blank\">some non-plastic microfibers can be<\/a> just as problematic or even more harmful than plastic.<\/p>\n<p>While non-plastic textiles are not as long-lived as plastics, with many composting within weeks to months, they can last long enough to accumulate and cause damage to plants, animals and humans. Studies by scientists at the University of Stirling show that biodegradable wet wipes can last up to 15 weeks on beaches, where they can act as a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2024.116175\" target=\"_blank\">reservoir for fecal bacteria and E.coli<\/a>. Other studies have highlighted non-plastic textiles <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0284681\" target=\"_blank\">lasting for two months or more in rivers and oceans<\/a>, where they break up into <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11356-022-20053-z\" target=\"_blank\">hundreds of thousands of microfibers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These microfibers are so prevalent in waterways that they have contaminated animals across the food chain, from filter-feeding <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2023.114949\" target=\"_blank\">mussels and oysters<\/a> to top predators such as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2023.140957\" target=\"_blank\">sharks<\/a> and the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/14\/7\/1237\" target=\"_blank\">seafood<\/a> we eat.<\/p>\n<p>They are also found in remote locations as far away as the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2021.147155\" target=\"_blank\">Arctic seafloor<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/news\/2021\/february\/plastic-microfibres-found-in-the-stomach-of-deepsea-fish.html\" target=\"_blank\">deep sea<\/a>, thousands of miles from civilization. These discoveries highlight that non-plastics last longer than we think.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_dangers_of_non-plastics\"><\/span>The dangers of non-plastics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once exposed to aquatic life, non-plastic microfibers can be easily ingested or inhaled, where they can become trapped in the body and cause damage. During their manufacture, textile fibers can be modified with various chemical additives to improve their function, such as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2515-7620\/add860\/meta\" target=\"_blank\">flame retardants, antibacterials, softeners, UV protection and dyes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It is known that several toxic synthetic chemicals, including the plastic additive <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/publications\/peoples-exposure-to-bisphenol-a\" target=\"_blank\">bisphenol A (BPA)<\/a>, are used for this purpose. These additives can be <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acs.estlett.4c00297\" target=\"_blank\">carcinogenic<\/a>, cause <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/24\/17\/13487\" target=\"_blank\">neurotoxic effects<\/a> or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8157593\/\" target=\"_blank\">damage hormonal and reproductive health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers like me, have only just begun to explore the dangers of non-plastics. Some have shown that non-plastic microfibers and their additives can damage the digestive system, cause stress, hinder development and alter immune responses in animals such as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/marine-science\/articles\/10.3389\/fmars.2022.991650\/full\" target=\"_blank\">shrimp<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s43591-023-00052-8\" target=\"_blank\">mussels<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.envpol.2023.121861\" target=\"_blank\">oysters<\/a>. However, other studies have shown <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2022.113755\" target=\"_blank\">little to no effect<\/a> of non-plastic microfibers on animals exposed to them.<\/p>\n<p>We do not yet know how much of a threat these materials are to the environment. Only the manufacturers know exactly what&#8217;s in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/es201811s\" target=\"_blank\">the textiles we use<\/a>. This makes it hard to understand what threats we are really facing. Nevertheless, assumptions that non-plastics are environmentally friendly and an easy alternative to plastic materials must be challenged and reconsidered.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, we need to push for greater transparency in the contents of our everyday items and test them to make sure that they are truly sustainable and won&#8217;t harm the world around us. So next time you are browsing the supermarket aisles and come across a pack of &#8220;biodegradable&#8221; or &#8220;environmentally friendly&#8221; wet wipes, just question, are they really?<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-some-biodegradable-wet-wipes-can-be-terrible-for-the-environment-258836\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/258836\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy some &#8216;biodegradable&#8217; wet wipes can be terrible for the environment (2025, July 19)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 19 July 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-07-biodegradable-terrible-environment.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-07-biodegradable-terrible-environment.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels Have you felt disgust when taking a walk along the riverside or plunging into the sea to escape the summer heat, only to spy a used wet wipe floating along the surface? Or shock at finding out that animals have died choking on plastic products or that the seafood we&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":680701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/wet-wipes.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-680700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=680700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/680701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=680700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=680700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=680700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}