Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has announced a ban on the manufacturing of products that contain microbeads.
The Minister stated that producers of cosmetics and personal care products are no longer allowed to include tiny pieces of plastics to items such as face scrubs, toothpaste and shower gels, due to the damaging affects on marine life and the oceans.
It is believed that by banning this plastic, it will put an end to the billions of microbeads that end up in the world’s oceans annually.
Thérèse Coffey said: “Microbeads are entirely unnecessary when there are so many natural alternatives available, and I am delighted that from today cosmetics manufacturers will no longer be able to add this harmful plastic to their rinse-off products.”
A ban on the sale of products that contain microbeads will be put into place later this year.
