A wet wipe is plastic-free when its fabric, binders included, contains no synthetic polymer; in practice that usually means pure viscose, lyocell or cotton. The claim is easy to print and harder to prove. A plastic-free fabric can sit in a sachet that contains plastic, "biodegradable" is a claim EU consumer law now restricts, and a wipe that feels like the old one may still contain polyester. For restaurants serving in the UK from December 2026, the question is practical rather than reputational, because plastic-containing wipes face a ban there.
What makes a wet wipe plastic-free?
The fabric must contain no polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene or other plastic fibre or binder. Under the EU definition, it must be made only from natural polymers that have not been chemically modified, or from materials the Commission treats as such.
The test comes from Directive (EU) 2019/904, which defines plastic as a polymer that can work as a main structural component, with an exception for natural polymers that have not been chemically modified. The Commission's guidelines (Notice 2021/C 216/01) apply it to wipes: a wipe made of viscose or lyocell without polyester or other plastics is outside the scope, while a wipe containing plastic is in. The rules that follow from the answer are in Wet Wipes and the Single-Use Plastics Rules.
The test covers the whole fabric, including binders. A fabric of wood pulp held together with a latex binder or with bicomponent polyethylene and polypropylene fibres contains plastic even though it looks and feels like paper. "Contains cellulose" is not the same as "contains only cellulose". Ask for the composition by fibre and binder, in percent.
How do viscose, lyocell, cotton and pulp compare for wipes?
Viscose and lyocell are regenerated cellulose fibres and are the usual plastic-free choice for refreshing towels. Cotton is natural and soft but costs more, and pulp-based airlaid is economical but weaker when wet.
| Fibre | What it is | Feel and performance | Points to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viscose | Regenerated cellulose spun from dissolved wood pulp | Soft, absorbent, drapes well; strength drops when saturated | Pulp sourcing evidence; fabric weight; lotion loading |
| Lyocell | Regenerated cellulose spun with an amine-oxide solvent process | Stronger wet than viscose; smooth hand | Cost; availability in small runs |
| Cotton | Natural seed fibre | Soft, good wet strength, premium feel | Cost; fibre length and cleanliness |
| Pulp airlaid | Wood pulp fibres formed into a web and bonded | Absorbent, low cost, paper-like | Binder type, which can be plastic; lower wet strength |
Viscose and lyocell are made by dissolving wood pulp and spinning it back into fibre, which is why the Commission treats the result as cellulose and not as a modified polymer. The two processes differ in the solvent system and in how the solvent is handled. Wood sourcing and process stewardship have to come from supplier documentation, so do not print forest or process claims you cannot document.
Most restaurant towels are spunlace nonwovens: the fibre web is entangled by high-pressure water jets without chemical binder. Pure viscose, lyocell or cotton spunlace is possible. Many standard towels blend viscose with polyester for strength and cost, which is the reason a "viscose" wipe is not always plastic-free.
Are viscose wet wipes biodegradable?
Regenerated cellulose can break down in many natural and composting environments, but the wipe as sold has a lotion, a fragrance and sometimes a binder, and the real outcome depends on conditions. "Biodegradable" on a pack is a claim that must be substantiated, and under EU consumer law it has become hard to use.
Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition applies from 27 September 2026. It restricts generic environmental claims, such as "eco-friendly", "green" or "biodegradable", unless the trader can show recognised excellent environmental performance, and it regulates sustainability labels and offset-based claims. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority's Green Claims Code and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 apply to environmental claims. A plain factual statement works better: "wipe fabric made from viscose, contains no plastic fibres", with the composition documented.
Two other points on end of life. First, a wet wipe is not a flushable product and should be disposed of with general waste. Do not imply flushability. Second, composting claims need a standard and a collection route; for packaging, the PPWR limits compostable packaging to a short list of items (tea and coffee bags and pods, fruit stickers, and optionally very lightweight and lightweight plastic carrier bags), and wipe sachets are not on it. Detail on claim meanings is in Recyclable, Compostable and Biodegradable Packaging.
Is a plastic-free wipe also a plastic-free pack?
No. The wipe and the sachet are separate items with separate rules. A plastic-free wipe in a paper sachet with a polyethylene heat-seal layer is a plastic-free wipe in a pack that contains plastic.
The sachet needs a barrier to keep the lotion in, and the usual barrier is a polymer layer or a foil laminate; see Wet Wipe Sachet Materials. Alternatives such as paper with a heat-seal lacquer or a non-polyethylene coating exist for some formats, but they hold moisture less well than a polyethylene layer and must be tested against the real lotion and the intended storage time. Whether any of these options is available for a given sachet size is a quotation and technical-review question.
The safe wording separates the two: "Wipe fabric: viscose, no plastic fibres" describes the wipe; it should not sit beside an unqualified "plastic-free" that a reader will apply to the whole pack. The sachet's own regulatory questions are in PPWR Explained for Foodservice and E-commerce Packaging Buyers and PPWR Recyclability Grades Explained.
What changes legally when the wipe is plastic-free?
Several obligations that attach to plastic-containing wipes fall away, but not all of them. Cosmetics law still applies, and the sachet is still packaging.
| Rule | Plastic-containing wipe | Plastic-free wipe |
|---|---|---|
| EU "PLASTIC IN PRODUCT" marking | Required on the pack | Not required under the Commission guidelines |
| EU producer responsibility for wipes (Directive Art 8) | Applies | Outside scope under the guidelines |
| German levy under the Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz | Applies to plastic wipes placed on the market | Not applicable to wipes outside the single-use plastic definition |
| UK sale and supply bans (Wales from 18 Dec 2026; NI 18 May 2027; England 19 May 2027; Scotland 11 Aug 2027) | Applies | Not covered; DAERA (NI) names viscose, lyocell and cotton as plastic-free, elsewhere confirm with the authority |
| EU and UK cosmetics law | Applies | Still applies |
| Packaging rules for the sachet | Apply | Still apply |
For the details of each row, including sources, see Wet Wipes and the Single-Use Plastics Rules and Are Wet Wipes Cosmetics?. The UK point deserves care: the England regulations define plastic as the EU Directive does, and DAERA's guidance for Northern Ireland says plastic-free wipes are typically made of viscose, lyocell or cotton and are not included in the ban. The GOV.UK guidance for England reviewed does not discuss these fibres, so confirm with Defra or local trading standards before relying on it in Great Britain.
What are the trade-offs of switching to plastic-free wipes?
Plastic-free wipes cost more and behave differently in use. Cellulose fibres hold lotion well, but the wipe is weaker when saturated, so fabric weight and fold matter more than with a polyester blend.
- Strength. Cellulose-only fabrics lose strength when wet. A heavier fabric or a lyocell or cotton blend compensates, at higher cost.
- Feel. Viscose feels softer and more absorbent; guests may notice less "grip" on greasy fingers.
- Lotion. Cellulose absorbs and holds more lotion. The lotion loading and the sachet barrier must be matched to the fabric.
- Size and fit. A heavier fabric is thicker when folded and may need a larger or different sachet; see Wet Wipe Sizes, Lotions and Fragrances.
- Cost and availability. Whether plastic-free towels are available in small runs depends on the wipe supplier. Cost follows fibre, weight and volume.
Before a full order, test a sample of the real wipe in the real sachet, aged for the planned storage time.
How do I verify that a wipe is plastic-free?
Ask for documents and check them; a product name proves nothing. Where doubt remains, fibre identification by microscopy or infrared spectroscopy is a standard way to confirm what a fabric contains. The document set should cover:
- Fibre composition by percentage, for the fabric as supplied and for each batch type.
- Binder and finishing agents named, with polymer type.
- Supplier declaration that the fabric contains no synthetic polymer, signed by the fabric maker.
- Change control: a clause that any fibre or binder change is notified in advance, because a swap to a blend changes the legal status.
- A retained sample of each delivery.
The sachet manufacturer prints and converts the sachet; the wipe fabric, lotion and filling are sourced separately, and who does what in your project is agreed at quotation. Send the fibre composition and target markets through the contact page, and see the Custom Printed Wet Wipes hub for the other specification decisions.