Good riddance to microbeads
The federal government has officially listed microbeads as a toxic substance.
For some time now we have been hearing about the little beads that cause big problems in the ecosystem. The plastic beads are commonly found in hand soap, facial cleansers, toothpaste and other products.
We should all eliminate them from personal use in advance of forthcoming legislation, like manufacturers are doing.
It was announced last week that plastic microbeads that are less than 5 mm in size have been added to the List of Toxic Substances to allow for regulatory development, and that legislation to control them is on the way.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, plastic ingredients, such as the microbeads, when flushed down the drain are released to the environment from raw sewage, treated effluent, biosolids, landfilling or dumping at sea. The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, has found microplastics in a variety of marine organisms. Once ingested they can affect the organisms’ physiology and potentially compromise their fitness.
Due to their physical and chemical properties, plastic microbeads may slip through wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. Available scientific documents indicate that plastic microbeads contribute to the volume of plastic litter in the environment and that the continued use of plastic microbeads in personal care products will result in their increased presence in the environment. Once in the environment, microbeads can be ingested by a wide range of organisms such as fish, seals, and birds. As a result, it is possible for microbeads to enter the food chain. Microplastics, which include microbeads, have been measured in Canadian waters and sediments.
The province of Ontario is currently considering Bill 75, Microbead Elimination and Monitoring Act, 2015, which would prohibit the manufacture of microbeads and the addition of microbeads to cosmetics, soaps or similar products. In addition, the Bill would require the province to conduct water sampling for microbeads in the Great Lakes. Currently, nine States in the United have passed laws that prohibit selling and manufacturing of microbeads in personal care products. A new U.S. federal law will place restrictions on the manufacturing or introduction or delivery for introduction into commerce of rinse-off cosmetic products and non-prescription drugs containing microbeads.
Many producers of personal care products containing plastic microbeads have pledged to phase out the use of plastic microbeads in the next few years. Of the 14 members of the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CCTFA) that responded to a voluntary survey for companies that had previously used or were using microbeads in 2015, five had already eliminated the use of plastic microbeads and nine had committed to do the same by 2018 or 2019.
