Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing tiny pieces of plastic, commonly known as ‘microbeads’.

Each year billions of tiny beads end up in our seas from a range of products such as face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels. These beads build up in the marine environment and can be swallowed by sea life, including fish and crustaceans. To read more, click here

The proposed ban follows a report by the Environmental Audit Committee highlighting the damaging impact they can have on the marine environment. The plans have been welcomed by Water UK, but many green groups have argued that the ban should go further and include all products, including those used for cleaning.