BOOTS is making a major change by pulling a popular product from its shelves this year and replacing it with environmentally-friendly alternatives.
The high street giant will stop selling all wet wipes that contain plastic by the end of the year.
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Boots has written to its suppliers in the UK and Ireland to say it will remove all wipes that contain plastic fibres from its 2,200 stores this year.
The products will also be taken off its website by the end of 2022.
That includes disposable make-up removal wipes.
Boots said it will replace the items with plant-based biodegradable alternatives.
The chemist removed plastic from its own brand and No7 wet wipe products last year.
“Now we are calling on other brands and retailers across the UK to follow suit in eliminating all plastic-based wet wipes,” Steve Ager, chief customer and commercial officer at Boots UK, said.
Around 11billion wet wipes are used in the UK each year and most of those still contain plastic.
Although you’re not supposed to flush them, research has found that they are the cause of nine in 10 of sewer blockages across the country.
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Boots is currently one of the biggest sellers of wet wipes, with 140 different lines across its skincare, beauty, baby, tissue and health care categories
It is the number one seller of face wipes, contributing up to 15% of those bought in the UK.
Boots isn’t the only major UK retailer taking action on plastic products.
Supermarkets are also stepping up to make their stock more environmentally-friendly.
Aldi has removed plastic from its own-brand baby wipes – although not all customers were impressed with the changes – and Tesco stopped selling wet wipes with plastic in last month.
Waitrose and Sainsbury’s say their own wipes are 100% plastic-free.
Similarly, Morrisons told The Sun last month that all of their wet wipes will be made using a plant-based viscose by June 2022.
It’s not just health and beauty products that are changing – the clamp down on plastics also extends to food.
Major grocers have pledged to remove plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables by 2025.
Tesco and Asda have already started using a new plant-based protection that could double the shelf life of fresh produce.
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