As revealed by Thailand Ministry of Public Health’s (MOPH) notice on Dec.27 this year, the import, production and sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads will be officially banned from January 1, 2020.
According to MOPH, microbeads, which are tiny plastic particles and have been frequently used in rinse-off products such as facial scrubs, pose a serious threat to the marine environment and associated food chains due to the bioaccumulation and lack of biodegradability.
Hence a national ban was designed to control ocean pollution and protect the environment. Notably, cosmetics with microbeads being marketed at present are permitted for sale until June 28, 2020. Stakeholders intending to use microbeads in cosmetics shall use natural ingredients as substitutes.