Draft Royal Decree Regulating the Management of Waste from Wet Wipes and Balloons

The draft applies to single-use wet wipes placed on the market and single-use household balloons containing plastic, as well as to the management of their waste. Wet wipes include products made from synthetic polymers, chemically modified natural polymers, or unmodified natural polymers that do not comply with UNE 149002:2022. It establishes an extended producer responsibility scheme requiring producers to finance waste collection, transport and treatment, cleaning of sanitation and wastewater-treatment infrastructure and litter, awareness campaigns, and management oversight, and to report information on products placed on the market and waste management. It provides for prevention and management measures, monitoring, inspections and penalties, and uses fee modulation to encourage plastic reduction, recycled plastic content, reduced hazardous substances, and chemically unmodified natural polymers.