Canada joins the ban on plastic microbeads
With this new piece of legislation, the country intends to join the increasing ranks in the fight against plastic microbeads in cosmetic products.
The authorities of different countries have come together to express a growing concern regarding the presence of plastic microbeads in marine ecosystems, which are later incorporated into different parts of the food chain. These microbeads are not only a possible direct threat to marine organisms, but their low biodegradability allows them to ascend through the food chain and appear in different species’ organs and tissues.
While it´s true that cosmetic products cannot be considered the main source of plastic microbeads, which would probably be plastic litter breaking down, most authorities will agree on the position of this ban. After all, every little helps.
Canada would bring this new legislation into force on the 1 January 2018. According to it, it would be illegal to manufacture, import, sell or intend to sell cosmetic products that contain microbeads. The definition of a plastic microbead will extend to “plastic particles of up to 5mm in size, independently of composition, size, shape or density”.
The deadline to accommodate this ban will extend to the 1 July 2018 for the manufacture and import, and up to 1 July 2019 to phase out the sale of the cosmetic products.