The UK government first pledged to ban microbeads in September 2016 after microbeads were banned in the USA in 2015 under the presidency of Barack Obama.

“Trillions of tiny pieces of plastic are accumulating in the world’s oceans, lakes and estuaries, harming marine life and entering the food chain. The microbeads in scrubs, shower gels and toothpastes are an avoidable part of this plastic pollution problem,” Environmental Audit Committee chair Mary Creagh said in August 2017.

“A single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the ocean. Cosmetic companies’ voluntary approach to phasing out plastic microbeads simply won’t wash.”

Microbeads listed on products usually appear as nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene (PE).

Microbeads have finally been banned from cosmetic products in the UK