What are Microbeads?

Microbeads are tiny particles of plastic less than 1mm in size that can be spherical or irregular in shape and produced in a multitude of colours. Microbeads are manufactured for use in consumer products such as body and face scrubs to produce a “feel good factor”. The types of plastic most commonly used as microbeads are:
polyethylene (PE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), nylon polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP).

How long have Microbeads been used?

Microbeads were patented in the 1970’s, but have only been used as a disposable entity in consumer products recently. Currently there are many hundreds of brand lines worldwide that use plastic for body care cleansing and each year more and more products have plastic microbeads as their main exfoliation ingredient.

What problems do Microbeads pose?

Plastic micro beads are contributing to the increasing flow of plastic into our oceans. These preventable microscopic pieces of plastic are contributing to the fragments of broken down larger pieces of plastic and fibres contaminating our seas, turning them into an unhealthy plastic soup. When used as directed, microbeads are washed down drains and into waste water systems where they are known to pass through these treatment facilities and are consequently flushed out to sea.

A major concern with microbeads is that because of their small size, they have a large surface area by volume, so as a consequence of their use, huge numbers of readymade, highly efficient toxic accumulators are being intentionally released into the environment. Micro-plastics in the marine environment are known to accumulate toxic contaminants - persistent organic pollutants (pesticides, flame retardants, PCBs).

Food chain contamination - Plankton eating plastic

A 2013 study found that phytoplankton and zooplankton at the base of the food chain can ingest micro plastic particles. The plastic in the diet of marine life could “negatively impact” their health, the study concluded.

This video was made at the University of Plymouth showing the size of both plankton and plastic particles and ingestion during a laboratory simulation.

Corporate Responsibility

Safe, non-plastic alternatives are available and widely used by many leading brands. These natural alternatives include: crushed nuts and shell, salt, charcoal, sand, sugar, pumice and oatmeal to name a few.

There is growing international pressure for companies to ensure that their products are not only safe for their customers to use but also safe for the environment that their products will ultimately end up.

The scrub products containing plastic pollute by the nature of their design. There is no way that the producers can ensure the product they manufacture (and profit from) will not pollute the environment.

Sewage treatment facilities tested in the US show micro beads are not removed during wastewater treatment. Researchers from New York University tested effluent at several wastewater facilities and demonstrated 80,000 micro-beads per day escaping treatment, per facility.

In 2012, UNILEVER announced it would phase out the use of microbeads in all of its products by 2015. 

See the following announcement on Unilever's website:
"We decided to phase-out plastic scrub beads from personal care products because we believed we could provide consumers with products that deliver a similar exfoliating performance without the need to use plastics. We completed the phase-out globally by 1 January 2015 using suitable alternatives that best match the sensory experience that the plastic scrub beads provided."

In 2014, L'Oreal commits to phase out all polyethylene microbeads by 2017.

Johnson & Johnson's announcement on their website.

Microbead Legislation

An increase in peer reviewed published research and reports from the United Nations Environment Program have raised awareness of the effects of microbeads to a level that the about 18 states in the US, Canada, Australia, and several European countries are considering bans of products that contain plastic microbeads. 

In the US, Illinois has become the first state to put a ban on the sale of microbead containing products. This ban gives a time frame for manufacturers to phase out microbeads from their products between 2017-2019. Very recently Obama signed Bill Banning Plastic Microbeads which will phase out the manufacturing of face wash, toothpaste and shampoo containing plastic microbeads by July 1, 2017, and the sale of such beauty products by July 1, 2018.

In Canada, microbeads will be added to the List of Toxic Substances, allowing the government to regulate microbeads under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

There are many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for India. Its time India joined the league too demonstrating its interest in furthering sustainable development and environment stability by banning the use of microbeads in vanity products like face wash, toothpaste, shampoo etc.