Supermarkets to phase out microbead beauty products
Australia's big three supermarket chains have pledged to phase out beauty products containing tiny plastic particles that are washing into the oceans and ending up in the food chain.
The tiny 'micro beads' are found in body cleansers and scrubs.
They disappear down the drain and are carried out to sea, where they are being eaten by fish, which end up on our plates.
Eighty-five percent of the junk in our oceans is plastic.
For every tonne of garbage, there is another tonne of minute, almost invisble plastic, microbeads.
They infiltrate marine life and, in turn, our seafood.
“There's definitely the potential for a threat to human health,” Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said.
Jennifer Halstead from the Institute of Marine Science said: "Micro-plastics of this sort of size have the ability to transfer from the blood stream into the tissues and have the ability to infiltrate the lungs which can lead to cancers".
Microbeads can be found in bathroom products like facial scrubs and shower gels.
Many contain dangerous toxic chemicals, which are banned in the US.
"So I looked at two common species, mullet and bream, and both had significant amounts of plastic,” said Ms Halstead.
“We are ingesting over 4000 tonnes of these species just in a single state alone.”
A senate inquiry into the threat of marine plastic pollution begins next month.
The Greens urgently want new legislation.
"The health minister could ban these products immediately. She could do it today. The trade minister could also put in place regulations that immediately ban the import of these goods," said Senator Whish-Wilson.
If you cannot wait for the politicians, there is an app called ‘Beat the microbead’ that tells you what products contain microscopic plastics.
John Dee from the not-for-profit organisation Do Something said the app "enables you to scan the products that you have at home" and on supermarket shelves.
Microplastics are also found in synthetic clothing.
Consumers are being urged to buy biodegradable wool and cotton instead.
