Demonstrating its ambition to be a better, responsible retailer, Wilko announced in March 2020 that its wipes would be plastic free and manufactured using viscose, a renewable plant fibre from a sustainable source.  What’s more, it was the first retailer to switch 100% of its Wilko brand wipes to plastic free, from antibacterial and cleansing wipes to car care. 

The retailer is planning on sharing its 1-year anniversary milestone of removing 1500 tonnes (47 trucks worth*) of plastic from the environment with an in-store customer campaign that celebrates their smart choices and highlights the impact they’ve help achieve.

Wilko CEO Jerome Saint-Marc said; ‘We’ve been focused on meeting our environmental ambitions for some time and proud to have been the first high-street retailer to offer plastic-free wipes across all our own brand options.  All 22 of them!

“We’re a family-owned retailer and understand the importance of making little changes for the better and, our responsibility to future generations. Our customers tell us that plastic reduction is important to them, that’s why we signed up to the UK Plastics Pact and, why we’re celebrating our 1500 tonnes milestone with them.”

Importantly, Wilko customers were able to make this ethical choice without having to pay more, as every pack of wipes sold remained at their everyday value price and offered the same levels of performance.

Wilko recently outlined ambitions to reduce its plastic use.  Elements of the Wilko Plastic Plan launched in June 2020 include; ensuring there is a minimum of 30 percent average recycled content across all plastic packaging by April 2022, eliminating all problematic plastics and reducing unnecessary plastic in all products by 2025 and making 100 percent of all plastic packaging and products reusable, recyclable or compostable.

Other sustainability initiatives from the retailer have included eliminating micro beads from Wilko products, replacing plastic stem ear buds and removing single use carrier bags from its 415 stores nationwide, replacing them with reusable bags for life made from 100 percent recycled plastic. Wilko is also already making improvements to the eco-credentials of its home collections and has signed up to the BRC net carbon road map in November 2020.

*based on 32-tonne articulated lorries