Spain is intensifying its fight against environmental pollution. Following straws, plastic cutlery, and cotton swabs, wet wipes and festive balloons are now in the legislative spotlight. The Ministry for Ecological Transition, led by Sara Aagesen, plans to ban flushing wet wipes down the toilet and the deliberate release of balloons into the environment. The aim is to reduce the immense amount of marine litter to which these products contribute significantly. Balloons and wet wipes are among the most frequently found single-use plastic items on EU beaches.
The draft royal decree, focuses on the industry. Manufacturers of these products will henceforth bear the costs of clearing pollution and waste treatment. However, how individual compliance with the ban will be monitored and sanctioned remains to be seen.
Since 2019, there has been an EU directive aimed at reducing the ten most common single-use plastic products found on beaches and in seas. This includes already prohibited items such as cutlery, plates, cotton swabs, and straws.
Fighting Clogs and Environmental Pollution
The draft standard targets all types of wet wipes – from baby wipes to household cleaning wipes – as well as disposable wipes. The main goal is to minimize the ecological, social, and economic impacts of this waste. The Spanish Association of Water Supply and Sanitation (AEAS) estimates that wet wipes burden sanitation and water treatment networks with an additional 230 million Euros annually. Since wet wipes do not fully dissolve, they cause clogs in sewage systems, reduce water storage capacity, and increase the risk of overflows during heavy rainfall. This not only damages infrastructure but also leads to the direct discharge of waste into rivers and other bodies of water, intensifying microfiber contamination and harming aquatic ecosystems. Even if some wipes are advertised as “biodegradable,” this does not mean they can be disposed of via the toilet, as their degradation in the environment is limited, thus continuing their polluting effect.
Balloons also pose a serious threat to the environment. They are frequently found in marine litter and cause serious harm to marine fauna. The “deliberate release” of balloons into the air, often at events and celebrations, is recognized as an environmental problem exacerbated by cultural trends. Currently, there are few practical alternatives to significantly reduce their environmental impact.
The proposed regulation stipulates that manufacturers of wet wipes and balloons must bear the costs of clearing litter generated by these products in sewage, wastewater, and water treatment infrastructure. This also includes transport and treatment costs, as well as costs for data collection and awareness campaigns.
