Canada is joining the growing list of countries seeking to tighten the screws on plastic microbeads, the tiny particles added to personal care products to enhance abrasiveness, which are increasingly regarded as contributing to the problem of marine litter. The government in early June published a notice that it was adding beads of 5mm or less in size as a toxic substance to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) of 1999. This will allow the government to propose new “risk management instruments,” including a possible ban on the products found in face scrubs, body washes, soaps and toothpaste. The move follows a 2015 unanimous vote in the country’s House of Commons to declare microbeads toxic.

A survey conducted last year found that around 100,000 kg of plastic microbeads in exfoliating and cleansing personal care mixtures and products are imported into Canada annually. At the same time, some 1,000-10,000 kg of the microbeads were used in the country to manufacture exfoliating and cleansing personal care mixtures and products.

Canada’s plastics industry criticised the Commons plan to classify the beads as “synthetic polymer particles” under the toxic substance category for fear of stigmatising other plastics products as well as the Department of the Environment’s declared intent to extend the restrictions from the chamber’s originally proposed 2mm to 5mm. The classification was subsequently changed to plastics and the term microbeads added, but the scope of the restrictions left unchanged.

While acknowledging the industry’s concerns, the government stressed that the proposed risk management restrictions would be focused on microbeads used in personal care products. It noted also – pointing to research finds of high levels of plastic microbeads in waterways such as the Great Lakes straddling the US and Canada – that it will coordinate its regulations with those passed by the US at the end of 2015, banning microbeads measuring 5mm or less.

The US legislation will take place in two stages, from 1 July for manufacture of microbeads and from 1 July 2018 for the sale of personal care products containing them. In addition to the proposed restrictions on plastic microbeads at the national level, Canada’s Ontario province is considering its own bill to prohibit the manufacture of microbeads and addition of the substances to personal care and cosmetic products.

In response to the Canadian government’s action, Maggie McDonald, toxics programme manager of the national advocacy group Environmental Defence, said she was pleased at the moves afoot to ban microbeads up to 5mm in size, “as that is the only way to ensure they will all be removed from the market.” McDonald added she hopes the government “will take action sooner rather than later.”

Canada’s move also is in line with European plans to move against plastic microbeads – see Plasteurope.com of 01.04.2016. Parallel to deliberations in the EU Parliament, the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee in March of this year began examining the impact of microplastics on the environment with an eye to determining the scale, sources and consequences of their use and develop strategies for dealing with the problem – see Plasteurope.com of 21.04.2016.

This was in retrospect perhaps a wise move in light of the country’s recent vote to exit the EU. In May, Denmark’s environment and food minister urged the European Commission to introduce a Europe-wide ban on the use of microbeads in cosmetic products. In Australia, a Senate committee has outlined strategies for dealing with offshore plastics waste, including plastic microbeads – see Plasteurope.com of 24.05.2016.