Nölken on the current discussion about wet wipes

Windhagen, October 27, 2025 As a manufacturer of hygiene and personal care products, we at Nölken take our responsibility for environmental and resource protection very seriously. We are closely following the current discussion about wet wipes and would like to comment on some of the recent statements made.

Enforce existing regulations
Since May 15, 2023, the Single-Use Plastics Fund Act has obligated distributors of certain single-use plastic products – including wet wipes – to bear the costs incurred for the disposal of these products as waste. The fund is financed by a special levy, and the registration and reporting of quantities placed on the market has been carried out via the digital platform DIVID of the Federal Environment Agency since January 2025. We comply with these legal requirements and report the quantity of single-use plastic. In our opinion, there is no need for an additional levy, but rather consistent implementation of the existing law.

In its statement, EDANA (European Disposables and Nonwovens Association) pointed out that to date, only around 7,000 of the estimated 54,000 companies liable for payment have registered with the single-use plastic fund. This low reporting rate leads to massive distortions of competition because compliant companies bear the financial burden alone. We therefore call – just like EDANA – for consistent prosecution of violations of the reporting obligation in order to create fair competitive conditions. As long as not all market participants fulfill their share, an additional levy is not only unnecessary but would punish those who are already adhering to the rules.

Hold consumers more accountable
The problems discussed in wastewater treatment plants and sewage systems primarily arise when products are disposed of incorrectly. Our product packaging clearly indicates that wet wipes containing plastic should not be flushed down the toilet but disposed of in residual waste. These instructions follow the requirements of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. Manufacturers cannot be held responsible if consumers disregard these labels.

From other areas of waste management, we know the principle that the consumer is obligated to dispose of waste correctly. Anyone who contaminates organic waste with plastic or throws residual waste into the recyclables bin violates current regulations. There too, the focus is on education and control. Similarly, there needs to be greater user awareness regarding wet wipes.

Transparent labeling is already mandatory.
Since July 3, 2021, the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive requires that certain single-use plastic products – including wet wipes – can only be placed on the market with a warning label specified by the EU. This labeling must make it clear that the product contains plastic and what the environmental impact of improper disposal is. Nölken complies with these requirements and clearly indicates on every packaging whether the wipes are flushable or must be disposed of in household waste. The demand for „clearly visible warnings“ is therefore already implemented in current law.

Innovation and Responsibility instead of Bans
We are continuously working to make our products more sustainable. EDANA points out that many manufacturers have already expanded the segment of plastic-free wet wipes and that consumers predominantly dispose of the wipes responsibly in household waste. Blanket bans, such as those demanded by the wastewater association DWA Nord, affect responsible manufacturers and consumers alike and ignore the progress made with sustainable alternatives.

We share the goal of the Lower Saxony Minister for the Environment to protect the infrastructure of wastewater systems. At the same time, we affirm that an effective instrument for this already exists. Crucial are fair rules that are adhered to by all market participants, an objective, fact-based debate, and a degree of personal responsibility in disposal.