Proposal to ban microbeads
16 January 2017
Cosmetic products containing microbeads will be banned under a proposal announced by the Minister for the Environment today.
Marine scientists have been advocating for a ban on the microplastics, which have been found to quickly enter waterways
and harm marine life. Other countries have already moved to ban the products from cosmetics, including the United Kingdom which will enforce a ban from the end of 2017. Many companies have already begun phasing the plastics out of their
products.
The Science Media Centre asked experts for their reaction to the announcement. Feel free to use the comments below in
your reports.
Dr Sally Gaw, senior lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, comments:
"Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in diameter. There are two types of microplastics; manufactured
microplastics such as microbeads; and microplastics formed from the breakdown of larger plastic items in the
environment. Microplastics degrade very slowly.
"Microplastics are of concern as they are widespread in oceans and have been found in an increasing number of marine
animals. Aquatic animals including fish and shellfish can ingest microplastics and animals may mistake them for food as
they can look like prey items. Ingesting microplastics can trick animals into feeling full, causing starvation and
microplastics can damage digestive tracts affecting the health of the animals. In addition, microplastics can
concentrate contaminants from the water which may be transferred to the animals when they ingest microplastics.
"Microbeads are commonly used in personal care products like body scrubs as abrasives and are washed down the drain.
Microbeads are not removed by wastewater treatment plants and will be discharged with the treated wastewater into the
environment.
"Banning microbeads in personal care products is a great step forward that will remove one source of microplastics
entering the oceans. Further steps will be required to reduce the enormous volume of plastics entering our oceans each
year. We need to re-evaluate our love affair with plastic, and get smarter about how and when we use plastic if we are
to protect our oceans."
Associate Professor Mary Sewell, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, comments:
"Microplastics are very small (<5mm) and microplastics in facial cleansers are very very small – most <1mm and some as small as 0.01mm. This size plastic can be consumed by smaller members of the plankton community that
usually feed on phytoplankton.
"Plastic floats, so it is not captured by most water treatment plants which rely on material sinking – thus any plastic
in water that goes down your drain ends up in the oceans. Plastic does not need to be in these products – there are
natural alternatives (e.g. oatmeal and apricot husks)
"We are behind the rest of the world as many countries have already banned these products."
ends