Plastic Free July - Wet Wipes

It's Plastic Free July and i'm looking at all the things that I have been swapping in order to be less wasteful as a family. Today I'm looking at wet wipes. 

It's been a while since Hugh's war on Waste hi-lighted the problem of wet wipes containing plastic. They discovered how wipe manufacturers are avoiding the subject and just how big a problem it is for our national sewerage systems.

As a family we were using the occasional toilet wipe as a last wipe for bottoms and for taking out wet wipes for mucky hands. When the kids were younger and in nappies we used them so much more and although I never flushed them down the toilet they were still going straight to land fill.

After watching the programme last month we have eliminated wipes from our bathroom completely. When we need to take out wet wipes we now use the brilliant Cheeky Wipes  or these funky baby wipes from local maker Bonnie Pop Makes.

If you want to use them for bottoms too you can buy a kit from Cheeky Wipes that has a clean and dirty box to use or again you could cut down on the bulk box and use a reusable bag. I take them out damp in a sandwich bag and for us this works really well. 

If I'm not sure whether i will need to use them I take them out dry and just squirt a bit of water onto the,m from one of our water bottles. we've always got water with us!

The Green monster fits around 4 or 5 of the Cheeky wipes which measure 15cm squared which is actually a much better size than a flannel.

Our smaller snack bags fit 2 inside so those are a great option for just taking a couple out with you!

Have you switched to a reusable alternative to wet wipes since watching the programme? 

Watch War on Waste: Series 3, Episode 2 here: