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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Beating the Microbead: How private environmental governance has influenced the regulatory process of banning microbeads in the UK
ClearThe power of environmental norms: marine plastic pollution and the politics of microbeads
This paper analyzes how the anti-microbead norm — the idea that plastic microbeads in personal care products should be eliminated — gained political traction and led to bans in multiple countries. The case demonstrates how combining strong scientific evidence with public activism can rapidly shift corporate and government behavior on plastic pollution.
Environmental governance towards microplastic pollution : the case of personal care and cosmetics products in Bangladesh
This study examines why Bangladesh has been slow to regulate microplastic microbeads in personal care products despite growing evidence of harm, compared to many developed countries that have already enacted bans. It highlights governance gaps, lack of enforcement capacity, and industry influence as key barriers to effective environmental regulation.
Legislation to reduce microplastic pollution : understanding the factors that facilitated passage of the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015
This study analyzes the political and advocacy factors that led to the passage of the US Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015, which banned plastic microbeads in personal care products. It identifies how scientific evidence, industry opposition, and public concern shaped the legislative outcome.
Microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem: A review of existing policies and regulations
This review examines existing government policies and regulations worldwide aimed at controlling microplastic pollution in water environments. While many countries have taken steps like banning microbeads in personal care products, the authors found that current efforts are insufficient to prevent microplastic release at scale. The study calls for stronger, more coordinated global regulations to protect both ecosystems and public health from microplastic contamination.
National Marine Microbead Policy in Developed Nations: How Microbead Bans Have Influenced Microplastic Pollution in Waterways and Begun the Trend Towards International Collaboration
This review examines how national microbead bans in developed countries have begun to reduce a significant source of microplastic pollution from cosmetic products. It argues that while domestic bans are important, international coordination is needed to address the transboundary nature of microplastic contamination in waterways.
Microplastics and Cosmetics: A Historical Overview
This historical review traces how personal care products shifted from natural abrasives to synthetic plastic microbeads from the 1980s onward, and how mounting environmental concerns eventually triggered regulatory bans in multiple countries. The history is directly relevant to understanding a major deliberate source of microplastic pollution and to evaluating whether current substitutes are genuinely safer alternatives.
Microplastics in cosmetics: Environmental issues and needs for global bans
This review examined the environmental impact of microbeads in personal care and cosmetic products, noting that products can contain up to 50,391 microbeads per gram and contribute 229,000 microbeads per use to domestic sewage, with many countries now implementing or planning bans. The authors argue that voluntary industry commitments are insufficient and that global bans are needed to prevent further environmental contamination.
Clean, but not green: Emission assessment, forecast modelling and policy solutions for plastic microbeads from personal care products in India
Researchers analyzed 45 personal care products sold in India and found that plastic microbeads were present in face washes, scrubs, shower gels, and body scrubs. They estimated current and future microbead emissions based on product usage patterns and population growth, projecting a significant increase in microplastic pollution from these sources. The study calls for regulatory action to ban intentionally added microbeads in personal care products in India.
Exploration of microplastics from personal care and cosmetic products and its estimated emissions to marine environment: An evidence from Malaysia
Microplastics including microbeads were quantified in personal care and cosmetic products sold in Malaysia, with scrubs and toothpastes as the top contributors, and estimated emissions to marine environments were calculated. The findings support the case for regulations banning plastic microbeads in cosmetics as a pollution prevention measure.
Microplastics: A Review of Policies and Responses
This critical review assembled current knowledge on policies and regulatory responses to plastic pollution globally, including legislative measures, economic instruments, and voluntary commitments. The authors identify a gap between scientific evidence and policy action and call for stronger, more coordinated international governance of plastic pollution.
Worldwide actions against plastic pollution from microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics focusing on European policies. Has the issue been handled effectively?
This review examines global policy actions targeting microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics, with a focus on European regulations. Researchers found that while several countries have implemented bans on microbeads in rinse-off products, enforcement and scope vary widely, and many policies still contain significant loopholes. The study suggests that current regulatory approaches have been only partially effective and calls for more comprehensive, harmonized measures.
Can we shop ourselves to a clean sea? An experimental panel approach to assess the persuasiveness of private labels as a private governance approach to microplastic pollution
An experimental consumer survey in Norway, Germany, and Portugal found that people are willing to pay a premium for products certified as microplastic-free, suggesting that private certification schemes could be an effective market-based tool for reducing microplastic pollution. However, willingness to pay was influenced by country, trust in certifiers, and how the certification was framed.
A systematic literature review of voluntary behaviour change approaches in single use plastic reduction
This systematic review examines efforts to voluntarily reduce single-use plastic consumption through behavior change rather than legislation. The research finds that while government bans on plastics are effective, voluntary approaches that respect individual choice can also make a difference. Understanding what motivates people to reduce plastic use is key to tackling the microplastic pollution problem at its source.
Plastic microbeads: small yet mighty concerning
This review discusses the environmental concerns surrounding plastic microbeads - the tiny plastic particles used in cosmetic scrubs and personal care products - tracing their sources, distribution in aquatic environments, and potential ecological effects. The study supports regulatory bans on microbeads given their persistence, wide distribution, and ingestion by aquatic organisms.
Policy and Regulatory Approaches to Mitigating Micro- and Nano Plastic Pollution
This chapter reviews policy and regulatory approaches to addressing microplastic and nanoplastic pollution globally. The study examines existing regulations, treatment technologies, and prevention strategies including product design modifications and improved waste management. The authors emphasize that effective governance requires collaboration among stakeholders and continued research, particularly on nanoplastics and human health impacts.
The Role of Legislation, Regulatory Initiatives and Guidelines on the Control of Plastic Pollution
This review examines existing plastic pollution regulations globally, finding that despite many proposals and national bans, the overall effectiveness of legislation is unclear and most measures focus narrowly on marine plastics or single-use items. The authors argue that laws often lag behind science and face practical limitations given how deeply embedded plastics are in daily life.
The emergence of microplastics: charting the path from research to regulations
This study summarized recent groundbreaking microplastic research and emerging regulations, charting the path from scientific discovery to policy action and providing recommendations to overcome remaining regulatory barriers.
From micro to macro: legal tools for combating plastic pollution at national, EU, and international levels
Researchers analyzed how laws at the national, European Union, and international levels have evolved to address microplastic pollution, tracing the shift from voluntary guidelines to binding rules like the EU's 2023 restriction on synthetic microparticles. The review identifies ongoing challenges — including inconsistent definitions and weak enforcement — and calls for stronger global governance to close the legal gaps.
Evolution strategies for collaborative governance of marine microplastic pollution from the industry-research integration perspective
Using evolutionary game theory, this study modeled how polluting companies, research institutions, and environmental organizations interact in governing marine microplastic pollution, finding that strong and sustained financial penalties are the most effective policy lever for getting industry to comply. The model also revealed that government credibility and the engagement of research institutions are critical — without them, even stiff fines may fail to produce lasting change.
Environmental Management Systems and Microplastic Pollution: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice
This review examined how environmental management systems can be applied to address microplastic pollution, bridging the gap between scientific research, corporate practice, and regulatory policy. The authors found that voluntary management frameworks and ISO-aligned approaches offer practical pathways for industry to reduce microplastic emissions, though mandatory regulatory standards are ultimately needed for systemic change.
Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle
This political science review analyzed over 180 studies on the governance of plastics across their full life cycle, finding that marine pollution and microplastics are driving the fastest growth in plastic policy research. The authors identify fragmented governance architectures and the absence of binding international agreements as major obstacles to addressing the global plastic crisis.
Transforming the Plastic Industry: Global Regulatory Evolution and Sustainability Trends (2018-2024)
Researchers analyzed the evolution of plastic governance frameworks across ten major economies from 2018 to 2024, documenting regulatory milestones including single-use plastic bans and extended producer responsibility schemes and assessing progress toward sustainability goals in the global plastics industry.
Trends of microplastic abundance in personal care products in the United Arab Emirates over the period of 3 years (2018–2020)
Analysis of 163 personal care products sampled from UAE markets in 2019-2020 found a modest decline in microplastic-containing products compared to a 2018 baseline, suggesting that regulatory pressure and voluntary industry reformulations have begun reducing microbead use. Polyethylene remained the dominant microbead polymer, though several new synthetic polymers appeared in newer formulations.
Governance Strategies for Mitigating Microplastic Pollution in the Marine Environment: A Review
This review assessed the sources, spread, and impacts of microplastic pollution in marine environments and evaluated existing governance strategies for addressing the problem. Researchers found significant gaps in management approaches, including limited community involvement in monitoring and a lack of standardized mitigation strategies for coastal areas. The study calls for stronger policy interventions, more citizen science initiatives, and coordinated international efforts to reduce microplastic pollution in the oceans.