New Zealand announces early ban of microbeads in cosmetics

New Zealand is planning to ban the sale and manufacture of wash-off products with plastic microbeads earlier than previously expected.

It is estimated that the microbeads in personal care products such as face cleansers and toothpaste will be completely banned in the country by May next year.

The ban is set to be effective six months after publication of regulations by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in an official gazette in November this year.

New Zealand Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson said: “Microbeads pose a high risk to our aquatic and marine environments. They are too small to retrieve or recycle, do not biodegrade, and are mistaken by marine life for food, causing long-term damage to marine animals.”

Following consultation in January this year, the government is reported to have received more than 16,000 submissions supporting the proposal of the ban.

After receiving suggestions calling for the ban's scope to be broadened to include other products containing plastic microbeads, the government has decided to include all wash-off products for visual appearance, exfoliation, cleansing, or abrasive cleaning.

Simpson further added: “Major manufacturers are also phasing out plastic microbead ingredients. This ban is part of a global initiative to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in oceans.

“The New Zealand ban parallels similar initiatives in the US, UK, Canada, the European Union and Australia to ban or phase out plastic microbeads in products.”