A UK-wide ban on the manufacture of cosmetics and care products containing tiny pieces of plastic known as 鈥渕颈肠谤辞产别补诲蝉鈥� has come into force.
The move is aimed at protecting the marine environment from one source of plastic pollution, as microbeads are washed down the drain and can enter the seas and be swallowed by fish and crustaceans with potentially harmful effects.
Manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products will no longer be able to add the tiny plastic pieces to rinse-off toiletries such as face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels.听The ban on the manufacture of products containing microbeads will be followed by a ban on the sale of such products in July.
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A report in 2016 found that more than a third of fish in the English Channel are contaminated with microscopic plastic debris from exfoliating skin scrubs, synthetic fabrics and other everyday products. Between 16 and 86 tonnes of plastic microbeads from听facial exfoliants听are washed down UK drains every year, said the report published by the听Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: 鈥淭he world鈥檚 seas and oceans are some of our most valuable natural assets and I am determined we act now to tackle the plastic that devastates our precious marine life.
鈥淢icrobeads are entirely unnecessary when there are so many natural alternatives available, and I am delighted that from today cosmetics manufacturers will no longer be able to add this harmful plastic to their rinse-off products.
鈥淣ow we have reached this important milestone, we will explore how we can build on our world-leading ban and tackle other forms of plastic waste.鈥�
Read more:听Plastic Age: How it鈥檚 reshaping rocks, oceans and life
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