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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/microplastics-europe-ban-natural-alternatives/>
"A blue whale can ingest about 10 million pieces of microplastics per day. This
alarming fact, drawn from a recent study, underlines what has become
increasingly clear: Microplastics — solid plastic particles up to five
millimeters in size that are not biodegradable — are pretty much everywhere.
They have been detected in over 1,500 different marine animal species. They
also find their way into our bodies via the water cycle and the food chain. In
fact, the average person consumes up to five grams of microplastics per week.
That’s as much as a credit card. The consequences for our health and the
environment remain to be seen.
In a move to stave off further damage, the European Union has now banned
intentionally added microplastics. This applies to plastic glitter or
polyethylene particles used as abrasives in scrubs, shower gel and toothpaste
(these have been banned in the US since the 2015 Microbead-Free Waters Act).
Under the terms of the ban, some products, such as plastic glitter found in
creams or eye shadow, have been granted a transitional period to give
manufacturers a chance to develop new designs.
But some manufacturers are years ahead of the game when it comes to pioneering
the move away from microbeads. LUSH and The Body Shop are among the companies
that have long been offering natural alternatives, using ground nuts, bamboo,
sea salt and sugar. The really big players, such as Beiersdorf AG, have also
been working on solutions for several years."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
