Government of Canada labels microbeads as ‘toxic substance’ – June 30, 2016 Globe and Mail article from Canadian Press

A June 30, 2016 Globe and Mail article from Canadian Press is entitled: “Government of Canada labels microbeads as ‘toxic substance’”.

The opening paragraphs read:

The federal government has officially listed microbeads as a toxic substance, giving it the ability to ban the plastic beads used in cleansers.

An online notice published Wednesday says the tiny plastic beads commonly found in facial and body scrubs is now listed as a toxic substance under the Environmental Protection Act, which gives the government the option to control their use or institute an outright ban.

But microbeads are already on the way out.

The online notice says of the 14 companies that make up the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association — the heaviest users of microbeads in Canada — five have already stopped using microbeads in their products and nine more will follow suit by 2018 or 2019.

[End of text]