Beauty brands ordered to stop selling products with banned ingredient
Exclusive
Environment
In a significant development for environmental protection, several leading beauty brands in Australia have been ordered to cease selling products containing a banned ingredient: microbeads. This move comes a decade after the federal government implemented a policy to phase out the use of microbeads in personal hygiene products, yet these tiny plastic fragments continue to be sold in numerous products across the country.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has taken the lead in enforcing this ban, becoming one of the first authorities worldwide to take action against the use of microbeads in personal care products. Since last year, the EPA has issued compliance notices to six businesses selling nine brands of banned microbeads in facial and body scrubs, demanding that they remove these products from retail shelves.
Microbeads, a form of microplastic, pose a significant environmental threat. They contribute to the annual influx of tonnes of plastic into the natural environment from personal care products alone, quickly entering food chains. A study last year revealed that microplastics made up 0.5 per cent of the average weight of human brain samples tested in a US study, with plastic levels in brain tissue having increased by 50 per cent since 2016.
The brands ordered to withdraw products from sale in NSW include Aesthetics Skincare Pty Ltd (Aesthetics Bio Fermented Triple Action Scrub), Coles Group Ltd (KOi for Men Cleansing Face Scrub and Desert Lime), Frostbland Pty Ltd (Alya Skin Pomegranate Facial Scrub and Exfoliating Sorbet), JMSR Australia Pty Ltd (Jan Marini Bioglycolic Resurfacing Body Scrub and Jan Marini Cranberry Orange Exfoliator), McPherson’s Consumer Products Pty Ltd (Dr LeWinn’s Essentials Gentle Exfoliant Weekly Facial Polishing Gel), and Natio Pty Ltd (Natio for Men Purifying Face Scrub and Natio Ageless Skin Renewal Exfoliator).
While some of these products are still available in other states and territories, the EPA chief executive, Tony Chappel, emphasized that plastic products, including microbeads, should not belong in skincare or waterways. He highlighted that some particles were made of bioplastics, which, although not derived from fossil fuels, do not readily break down in the environment and are still classified as plastic under the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act.
The voluntary phase-out of microbeads from personal care products, as managed by Accord Australasia, the industry body for the hygiene, cosmetic, personal care, and specialty products industry, has been described as 'delivered'. However, the task of controlling microbeads has now fallen to states that have legislated bans, with microbeads in rinse-off personal care products banned in NSW, the ACT, Western Australia, and Queensland. There is no oversight of products containing microbeads in other states, where failure to comply with a notice carries penalties of up to $550,000, plus $55,000 a day.
This development underscores the ongoing efforts to combat plastic pollution and the crucial role of regulatory bodies in ensuring compliance. As the beauty industry continues to evolve, the ban on microbeads marks a significant step towards a more sustainable future, where the health of our environment and our bodies is prioritized.
