Up to 200 jobs at risk with Kimberley Clark plans to close Flint site

Kimberley Clark has said it is consulting on the proposed closure of its Flint manufacturing site, putting more than 200 jobs at risk.

The site, known for producing baby wipes, faces closure due to the upcoming UK legislation banning single-use plastics in certain products from October 1.

Mark Tami, the former Alyn and Deeside MP and current Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency, said he has been actively engaged with Kimberley Clark and lobbying the UK government to find a solution.

He expressed his concerns, stating, “This is deeply concerning news. I’ve written today to Kimberley Clark requesting an urgent meeting. These are hundreds of valuable jobs that we need to keep in Flint. Hopefully, if we have a Labour Government on July 5, we can find a way through this.”

The closure of the Flint site underlines the impact the upcoming legislation will have on local employment and the broader industry.

A spokesperson for Kimberly-Clark said: “Following the official announcement by the UK government to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic, we are consulting on the proposed closure of our manufacturing operations at Flint, North Wales, in 2025.

“Phasing out plastics from our baby wipes has long been part of K-C’s sustainability plans and we have already removed a significant amount of plastic from them. Most of our baby wipes use a proprietary technology with 70% natural fibres and 30% plastic added to provide the necessary strength to clean and care for babies’ skin properly.

“However, we’re unable to meet the UK Government’s deadline of mid-2026 as it significantly limits our ability to adapt our consumer manufacturing processes in Flint in time, which means it may no longer be viable to keep our consumer and B2B sites operational.

“Decisions that involve our employees are the hardest to make and we know it is a challenging period for our team. Supporting them through this complex situation is our top priority.

“Should the site closure proposal go ahead, we will keep the Flint site operational into 2025, and will continue to work closely with our customers and retailers on transition plans for affected products.”