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Wet wipes: keeping them out of our seas
</h1>
<p>
Fatbergs – those revolting sewer mountains made of <a
href="http://www.beitaowp.com/wet-wipes/" target="_self">wet wipes</a>, grease and other
gunk – have been cropping up all over the place in the past year or so, from London and
Cardiff to Staffordshire and Devon.
</p>
<p>
As well as causing trouble in wastewater systems, wipes can find their way into
oceans. Along with other types of plastic pollution, they can cause long-term problems for
sea creatures and the marine environment.
</p>
<p>
Wet wipes made up more than 90% of the material causing sewer blockages ? that Water
UK investigated in 2017.
</p>
<p>
Friends of the Earth commissioned a report from research group Eunomia, Reducing
Household Contributions to Marine Plastic Pollution [PDF]. This reveals our everyday
habits that result in all sorts of plastics getting into our seas. Sometimes from
seemingly unlikely sources, such as wet wipes.
</p>
<h3>
What's so wrong with wet wipes?
</h3>
<p>
Millions of us have grabbed a wet wipe to clean our hands, faces, worktops, children,
and almost everything else at some point. What harm can it do, we might think – they’re
only little squares of wet tissue. Aren’t they?
</p>
<p>
But now people are realising that wet wipes, like so many other everyday throwaway
items, contain plastic, and aren’t so harmless after all.
</p>
<p>
Three particular stories in the past year have highlighted the growing concerns over
wet wipes.
</p>
<p>
Baby wipes are essential for keeping your baby fresh, clean, moisturized, and
comfortable between baths.
</p>
<p>
But not all baby wipes are created equal, which is why we put so much time into
finding the <a href="https://mommyhood101.com/best-baby-wipes">best baby wipes</a> every
year!
</p>
<p>
In this article, we dive into the details to teach you over a dozen important facts
about baby wipes, including how they're made, ingredients, textures, cleaning
effectiveness, and disposal.
</p>
<h2>
What are Baby Wipes?
</h2>
<p>
<a href="http://www.beitaowp.com/wet-wipes/baby-wipes/" target="_self">Baby wipes</a>
are pre-moistened towelettes designed to effectively clean and soothe a baby's skin
during diaper changes.
</p>
<p>
They are usually dispensed single-serve in thin rectangular sheets made from cotton,
bamboo, polyester, and other non-woven blends. Importantly, baby wipes use sensitive
ingredients to avoid irritating your baby's skin, and usually contain at least one
moisturizing and soothing ingredient.
</p>
<p>
For these reasons, baby wipes are perfect for cleaning both number 1 (urine) and
number 2 (poop) off your baby's private parts.
</p>
<h2>
How are Baby Wipes Made?
</h2>
<p>
Most baby wipes are made from cotton, polyester, bamboo, or a nonwoven blend of
multiple fibers that are saturated with water, oil, cleansers, and preservatives.
</p>
<p>
Instead of using a time-consuming fabric weaving process, baby wipe manufacturers use
a non-woven fabrication process (similar to how dryer sheets are made).
</p>
<p>
Here are the typical steps involved in making baby wipes:
</p>
<p>
Raw ingredients such as cotton, polyester, viscose, cellulose, polypropylene, and
bamboo fibers are blended together in giant vats of wet mixture.
</p>
<p>
Short and long bonds are created between the fibers using chemicals, heat, and/or
force, causing them to stick together.
</p>
<p>
These fiber mixtures are then flattened, spun, and dried, and rolled into spools
resembling giant paper towel rolls (see image below).
</p>
<p>
These rolls are then sent into large industrial machines that cut, shape, saturate
(with the wet ingredients), fold, and package the wipes.
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