Marine plastics projects manager at Fauna & Flora International, Tanya Cox said

that consumer sentiment had helped pressure retailers into phasing out
microbeads
She added: Three years ago, hardly anyone in the UK knew about plastic
microbeads in cosmetics or the impact they have on marine wildlife, but today
the situation is very different, said Tanya Cox, Projects Manager for Marine
Plastics at Fauna & Flora International.
Thanks to dedicated campaigning by organisations like Fauna & Flora
International and the Marine Conservation Society, and efforts by the press to
raise public awareness, this issue is now very much in the public consciousness
with thousands of people actively putting pressure on their favourite brands to
phase out microbeads.
However, while its encouraging that brands are making these statements
voluntarily, it is clear that legislation is still needed to level the playing field and
ensure that brands really do meet their commitments now and into the future,
she added.
Microbeads are used as exfoliants in a range of beauty and cosmetic products,
including facial scrubs and toothpastes.
Their small size means that they cannot be filtered out during wastewater
treatment, so they often filter down to rivers, lakes and seas, where they are
eaten by marine species which cannot differentiate between microbeads and
food.
A 2010 study of 670 fish found that 35% had microplastics in their stomachs.
The beads - which are known to absorb toxins can accumulate inside fish and
other marine life, becoming more concentrated and toxic as they are passed up
the food chain.