Microplastics are all around, even in our cosmetics-Marketplace

Microplastics are found in almost every environment, including the ocean and the air that we breathe. According to a Recent research paperEnvironment International published that microplastics have been found in human blood. For the first time. 

Microplastics are particles Smaller than 5 millimetersAccording to Richard Thompson, a marine ecologist, microplastics can be found in all of these areas. Although microplastics can be found in many products, the beauty and personal care industry is one area where countries have pushed for legislation.  

These companies have a financial incentive to use microplastics. According to the Business of Fashion, an online media company that covers the topic of microplastics, the European Chemicals Agency proposed banning microplastics. It found that it would cost the European Union’s cosmetics industry up to 8 billion euros per year. Back in 2019. This is equivalent to Around $8.5 Billion. The global market for this industry in 2021 was Estimated at $482.8 billion 

Congress in the United States has taken some action regarding microplastics. It passed The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015This bans companies from manufacturing, packaging, and distributing rinse off cosmetics that contain microbeads. Microbeads can be used as a scrubbing instrument. These products include toothpastes and anti-dandruff shampoos.

However, this law doesn’t address other types of microplastics, nor does it address all microbeads, which can still be used in deodorants, lotion and makeup. Sherri A. Mason from Penn State Behrend, director of sustainability, stated that there are certain loopholes in this law. It was a great step. It was not meant to be the last. 

Environmentalist organizations are calling on lawmakers and corporations to take drastic action on the issue. For example: Beat the Microbead The Plastic Soup Foundation in Amsterdam is leading an international campaign to demand that major corporations and whole countries ban the use these ingredients in cosmetics. 

Vincent Breslin, a professor at Southern Connecticut University of environment, geography, and marine sciences, said that microplastics management is a rapidly expanding field. 

Scientists and ecologists are taking a closer look at the effects of plastics on our bodies and how we interact with them. [that]Breslin stated that plastic waste that has been poorly managed has had a negative impact on the environment over the years. 

In the Environmental International study, researchers from Macquarie University (Australia) were featured. studied microplasticsIn Australian homes, some of the following were found to be true They measured the microplasticsAlthough they may contain carcinogenic or mutagenic compounds, the actual risk to human life is unknown. Microplastics are mostly studied in the context of They have a negative impact on marine life.

There are Primary microplasticsThese microplastics can be used in cosmetics and personal care products. Experts also claim that clothing can shed microfibers which is another form of microplastic pollution.

Amy Ziff, the founder and CEO of Made Safe, a non-profit that certifies products with no known toxic chemicals, said that we need to ask how these microplastics get into our body. 

These plastics are all around us. We’re inhaling them. We’re breathing them in whether we can see them or not. That’s how prevalent this is, Ziff said. And I don’t say that to scare people. I say this to motivate people.

Beat the Microbead started by tracking a few ingredients that were used in microbeads. It has since expanded its scope to increase awareness.There are many other microplastics.Used in products, which, according to the campaign, includes solid, liquid and soluble substances Biodegradable and recyclable materials 

Microplastic ingredients will be used by the cosmetics industry for film formation and thickening agents among other purposes. They are so cheap!Beat the Microbead. 

Some states are taking initiative to pass more expansive legislation to address the problem of microplastics. Tasha Stoiber is a senior scientist at Environmental Working Group. She noted that California has the highest concentration of microplastics. This year, a bill was introduced It would prohibit the sale or distribution cosmetics, waxes, or polishes that have been intentionally added microplastics to detergents. 

The European Commission is working to expand its reach beyond the United States. ban microplasticsIt has not yet been made law for cosmetics or detergents, but it is possible. 

Mason said that the beauty and personal care industries have a long way to go in making products sustainable and redesigning their packaging. 

Carla Burns (senior director of cosmetic science, Environmental Working Group) noted that the clean beauty sector has seen significant growth over the past ten years. 

I think there’s a movement away from the use of plastics, being very conscious of water use whether that be in the formulations or in the product packaging [and]Burns advised that consumers should be more conscious about the recycling and reuseability of product packaging. 

Burns stated that there have been technological shifts and formulations. Some companies are now using plant-based exfoliants. Statista, a market research firm, projects that the clean beauty market will double to $11 billion by 2016. To $22 BillionBy 2024 

EWGs Tasha Sloiber said that consumers can’t make environmentally conscious decisions on their own. She said that there must be a top-down solution.

Mason echoed that sentiment, saying, If you are not of the financial means to be able to make changes, don’t beat yourself up. 

Mason pointed out that there are apps consumers can use in order to find out the contents of their products. The Beat the Microbead CampaignA new app allows you to scan products for any microplastics. The Environmental Working Group has developed an app that allows you to scan products and view their ratings. 

Burns stated that consumers should vote with their dollars and support companies that do not add microplastics to products.