BANGKOK, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Thai Ministry of Public Health said on Tuesday that it will ban the import, production and sale of cosmetic products containing plastic microbeads from Jan. 1, 2020.
The ministry's announcement, already published in the Thai Royal Gazette, indicated that plastic microbeads do not degrade over time in water, or in the environment, and are used in rinse-off products such as face scrubs.
Britain, for instance, prohibited the use of plastic microbeads in the manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products in 2018, out of concern over their impact on marine life, the ministry explained.
The small spherical beads, designed to help with exfoliation (dead skin cell removal) are then washed down the drain, often slip through waste water treatment system and end up in the sea, the ministry said.
