Images courtesy of 5gyres.org
Esben Lunde Larsen, minister for the environment for Denmark’s liberal-right government, has announced that he’ll push for an EU microplastic ban in cosmetics throughout the European Union, Danish media reports. He will be taking his suggestion to the EU Commission, the executive branch of the European Union’s administration.
The U.S. has already instituted a ban on microplastics in cosmetics, to be put into effect from 2017, but several states, including such populous ones as California, have also done so on their own. The EU, however, has so far failed to follow suit.
Microplastics are used as abrasive elements throughout the cosmetics and household-product industries, mostly in cleaning products and exfoliating creams and soaps. The tiny pieces of plastic that are added to these products to help create an abrasive effect constitute a major problem for the marine environment, as these tiny bits are washed down the drain and into the sewage system. But because these microplastics are so small, sewage-treatment plants often cannot remove them, and so they eventually end up in the oceans.
While large plastic debris, including the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, makes the headlines, microplastics literally make up millions of tons of plastic added to the oceans every year. And because the elements are so tiny, they are hard to detect and remove, and make their way into practically every living organism in the oceans, entering the food chain at every level. As the plastic in the water breaks down because of exposure to the sun and air, it also releases various chemicals, toxic to both marine life and to humans consuming seafood.
The EU is made up of 28 member states, covering more than 1.5 million square miles, and with a combined population of more than 500 million people. These numbers mean that a total ban on microplastics in all cosmetic products sold there would be a great step toward reducing the amount of plastic that finds its way into our oceans. Combined with the upcoming U.S. ban, there is real promise of impact.
While the small Scandinavian country of Denmark has a strong reputation as a leader in environmental issues, the current government has received considerable critique from both national and international observers, including many NGOs, for having a weak environmental position, often siding with industry rather than nature. Therefore, this move is welcomed by many of these critics as an important step. With virtually no large cosmetics companies within its borders, there is speculation that this move was made because it allowed the government to show environmental strength without angering its financial backers, but regardless of the political motivation, if they are successful in raising the issue in the EU, and a ban is put in place, it would be major win for the marine environment worldwide. A long process awaits before a ban would come into effect, but that the first step is being taken is nonetheless positive.
