Ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic: Island Communities Impact Assessment

3. Consultation

Who do you need to consult with?

As part of the joint UK-wide public consultation on proposals to ban wet wipes containing plastic we directly engaged with a range of manufacturers, retailers, and industry bodies.

We directly engaged with our Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group^[12], which is made up of a wide range of stakeholders and partner organisations, including islands representatives.

Any member of the public or representative of an organisation who chose to do so was able to respond to the public consultation.

How will you carry out your consultation and in what timescales?

The UK-wide consultation was hosted by Defra via the government consultation hub Citizen Space. It ran from 14 October to 25 November 2023. During this time, the Marine Directorate and the Net Zero and Rural Affairs communications teams promoted the consultation.

What questions will you ask when considering how to address island realities?

The consultation included the question “Do you think that the proposed ban will have a negative impact on any specific groups of consumers?” with a free text box for respondents to give more detail.

What information has already been gathered through consultations and what concerns have been raised previously by island communities?

The vast majority of marine litter in Scotland originates from land-based sources e.g. on-the-go and fast-food packaging, smoking related litter, and sewage-related debris. In contrast to this, some islands record the majority of marine litter that arrives on their shores originates from the Atlantic Ocean and from maritime industries, including fishing, aquaculture, and shipping. Certain island communities have highlighted that the majority of beach litter they have encountered is comprised of fishing and/or aquaculture related items, including nets, ropes, gear, etc. This information has been imparted to the Marine Directorate through engagement with the Scottish Islands Federation Marine Litter Working Group. As a result, the Marine Directorate initiated research into the specific needs of island communities with regard to the composition of litter and options to deal with this, and specific actions were included within the Marine Litter Strategy.

Respondents to the consultation who stated they represented Scotland’s islands commented that they would welcome legislation which aims to reduce the number of wet wipes containing plastic which end up in the marine environment and on beaches.

We engaged with island communities through our Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group. No island-specific concerns have been raised regarding the proposed ban.

Is your consultation robust and meaningful and sufficient to comply with the Section 7 duty?

Yes. Regard has been given to island communities through identification of island stakeholders, during pre-consultation discussions during meetings of the Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group, in the preparation of the consultation, during the drafting of the legislation, and during the completion of this ICIA document.