Stop washing with killer beads

26 August 2016 - 09:36 By NIVASHNI NAIR

Tiny plastic beads in your toothpaste, body scrub and other cosmetics are harming marine life. It has been found that 60% of loggerhead turtles that died within two months of stranding this year on southern Cape beaches had swallowed plastic beads."The turtles are killed by the particles blocking their digestive tracts or bladders," said Shanar Tabrizi of environment justice group groundWork. Analysis of microplastics in South African estuaries last year showed levels of almost 150 particles a litre."Marine organisms ingesting plastics in South Africa are on par with the highest recorded levels elsewhere in the world. According to the UN Environmental Programme some species of birds here have the highest plastic ingestion rates in the world - a clear cause for concern."Tabrizi said efforts were being made locally to raise awareness and campaign against microbeads, but there had been no policy change or proposals for legislation to ban their use.Department of Environmental Affairs spokesman Albi Modise said the government was initiating studies to assess the impact of microplastics and microbeads on the environment."Once we have the results of that assessment in the next year or so, together with a socioeconomic assessment, we will then develop our policy position in terms of a ban or not and the process towards reducing and or phasing out such pollutants in consultation with key stakeholders."There is rising concern globally about the threat to marine life.British MPs this week called for a worldwide ban on microbeads in cosmetics. Parliamentary environmental audit committee chairwoman Mary Creagh said: "Trillions of tiny pieces of plastic are accumulating in the world's oceans, lakes and estuaries, harming marine life and entering the food chain."Just one shower could result in 100000 plastic particles entering the ocean."Cosmetic companies' voluntary approach to phasing out plastic microbeads simply won't wash," said Creagh.Greenpeace estimates that eight million tons of plastic get into oceans every year. The environmental group said the tiny polluters had been banned in the US and Canada."Now Australia, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands are considering a ban too."..

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