Australian state and federal ministers met for a roundtable on plastic microbead usage in Sydney earlier last week. Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt said that the Australian government was taking a “stronger stance” on this “important environment issue”.
“We will continue to work with companies towards a voluntary phase-out of microbeads. However, if by 1 July 2017 it is clear that the voluntary phase-out will not achieve what is effectively a widespread ban on microbeads, the Federal Government will take action to implement a ban in law.” Mr. Hunt warned.
Previously, Mr. Hunt had announced a “voluntary phase-out” of products containing microbeads by 2018, with the agreement of state and territory ministers.
Microbeads are tiny plastic particles, also called polyethylene microbeads that can be as large as 5 millimeters or invisible to the naked eye. These tiny particles are mostly used in personal care products such as face scrubs, body washes and even toothpastes, where they act as abrasives or exfoliates, replacing natural ingredients such as sand, walnut kernels and seeds.
Environmentalists and scientists have discovered large quantities of microbeads in Australian waterways, which in some instances end up in the food chain, including in fish. Microbeads can also attract toxic substances and as with most plastics, do not degrade.
Currently, cosmetic companies include Unilever, L'Oreal, Beiersdorf, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson and Johnson, The Body Shop, Ella Bache and Clarins have already agreed to the voluntary phase-out.
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