New Zealand bans microbeads in cleaning products

WELLINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government on Monday approved the regulations banning microbeads, which are found in personal care products such as facial cleansers, bath scrubs and toothpaste.

Minister for the Environment David Parker said that microbeads get washed down the drain but are too small to be fully captured by the waste water treatment systems.

These minute plastic particles enter the marine environment where they accumulate, do not biodegrade, and are mistaken for food, which causes long-term damage to New Zealand's marine life, Parker said in a statement.

"This ban contributes to global efforts to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans," said Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage.

The changes align with similar initiatives in the United States, Britain and Australia, Sage said.

Public consultation on the proposed regulations took place in January this year and drew wide public support, she said, adding that many submitters urged the government to broaden the scope of the proposed ban to include other products containing microbeads.

In response to public opinions, the regulations have been widened to include all "wash-off" microbead-containing products for exfoliating, cleansing or abrasive cleaning purposes, which includes household, car or other cleaning products as well as personal care products, according to the ministry.

"The market for these additional products is minimal, but we want to prevent a future market developing," Sage said. Enditem