Rinsing off responsibilities?

How it all began

Patented in 1970s, microbeads became highly commercialized in the 1990s and 2000s and were a hit with consumers; slowly but surely more and more products started including them in their formulations, so that the usage of these ingredients increased tremendously. Consumers all over the world became used to products that contained microbeads and unknowingly let them drain into the general world water system. Because of their miniscule size, it is impossible for water treatment plants to filter them out. This leads to pollution in both fresh and marine waters, which then threatens aquatic life and causes deterioration of the marine environment. 

While no EU-wide action has yet been proposed, various country-specific regulations have been proposed, and some have already taken effect. Currently, the proposed ban applies only to rinse-off products, while make-up products and sunscreens are excluded from the list. The movement has experienced a surge, with 91 NGOs from all over the world partnering in a ‘Beat the Microbead’ campaign to support the cause. The ‘Beat the Microbead Campaign’ aims at banning these tiny plastic substances from products of daily use because of the detrimental effects they cause to the environment.