Generic foresight model in changing hygiene habits with the pandemic: use of wet wipes in next generations

The vast use of wet wipes has now become a habitude, particularly following the altered perception of cleanliness during the pandemic and the encouragement towards using WW (wet wipe) to ensure parent’s and children’s hygiene. This study primarily aims to create a projection of the WW waste that will emerge in Turkey as a result of the promoted consumption by children who are predicted to retain the WW usage practices of their parents. In line with this habit adopted by children, the number of daily WW usage which is currently around 210 million is expected to rise to over 250 million between the years 2040 and 2060, depending on how the children are guided by their parent’s existing habits. In this study, related calculations were made with FT-IR spectroscopy, taking into account the functional bond structure and percentage distribution of polymers in WWs. In this way, it is detected that 360 T, 568 T, and 623 T polymer materials would be thrown into the environment per day in 2021, 2040 and 2060, respectively. The damage of chemicals in WW content, employed at various concentrations, to the ecosystem structure is predicted and measures to be taken are outlined.