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MICROBEAD FREE WATERS BILL 30 OF 2016

               Policy Proposal – Immediate ban of microbeads
 




Microbead Free Waters Bill 2016

Recommendation: That Tasmania Labor call for the government to develop policy

immediately banning the sale, importation and manufacturing of microbeads in

Tasmania. While the Commonwealth government is tackling the issue it is important

for states to take action, and given the 2 year gap before enforcement, there exists

the opportunity for Tasmania to lead the way and to cement our national and

international image as green and clean.


Background:


       Approx. 350,000 beads per average bottle of face scrub;

       Middle Harbour scientists found 60-100 bead debris in 100ml of water

        sediment;

       Greg Hunt has initiated a voluntary phase out to end July 1st, 2018. If there

        has been no effective action taken by 2017 this will be brought forward;

       Woolworths, Coles and Aldi have ceased using them in their own products,

        which is similar to the companies Unilever, L’Oreal, Reikitt Benckiser,

        Johnson and Johnson, The Body Shop, Ella Bache and Clarins, Beiersdorf

        has asserted that they will find an alternative;

       Legislation passed in the US banning plastic microbeads beginning January

        1st, 2018 and banning the manufacturing of products containing microbeads

        from July 1st, 2017;
 
 
               Policy Proposal – Immediate ban of microbeads
 
       Microbeads cannot be filtered using conventional waste and water treatment

        systems and are damaging marine ecosystems (and are potentially filtering up

        to humans);

       The Australian Senate has encouraged the government to “Ban the

        importation and production of personal care products containing microbeads”

        (Toxic tide: the threat of marine plastic, 20 April 2016);


       The World Economics Forum in January released alarming statistics about

        the prevalence of plastics in the world’s oceans. “Each year, at least 8m

        tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean – which is equivalent to dumping the

        contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. If no action is

        taken, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per

        minute by 2050”

       Natural progression after Tasmania’s ban on one-use plastic bags.


Attached is a proposed very simple bill that could be tabled immediately. This
proposal has been discussed at and supported by PLP.



Madeleine Ogilvie  
 
 

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