Wednesday 23 September 2020

‘Light bulb moment came when we learned 90% of the wipes sold in the UK contain plastic’

Almost 90% of the wipes sold in the UK contain plastic and can last over 100 years in a landfill.

This fact, along with seeing the infamous image of a sea turtle with a plastic straw lodged in its nostil in David Attenborough's Blue Planet II show, made new parents Guy and Abi Fennell launch an ambitious plan to disrupt the current baby care market.

Based in Cheshire, they launched Pura, which produces 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable baby wipes - but could eco-friendly wet wipes solve one of the biggest environmental challenges of today's world?

Taking into account reports about a fatberg the weight of three double-decker buses being removed from a London sewer or research that shows some parts of River Thames see 94,000 microplastic particles flow through the water every second, then the answer may not be difficult to articulate.

Mr Fennell said: "We don't suggest that we are eco-warriors, but what we do want to do is to drive change. We want to democratise eco, make it accessible, and leave a legacy. If we don't make a change it will be the next generation that will inherit the problem.

"We are now calling other brands that make wipes from polyester. Moms and dads don't realise what they are using are made of plastic.

"So, our big part with Pura an education piece. So we have bought a double-decker bus and will be touring in the next 12 months in every city in the UK talking about issues around plastic wipes and educating them in the right way."