Microbeads: An environmental challenge for the FMCG industry

Leading FMCG companies, including the global ones, produce a range of beauty care and grooming products like shampoo, soap, toothpaste and facewash which are believed to contain microbeads. Microbeads, which are also known as plastic microbeads or micro plastics, are solid plastic particles usually less than 5 mm in size and are used to exfoliate and cleanse. They are sometimes used as a substitute to natural exfoliating substances like apricot, oatmeal and walnut husks in various products of daily use.

Microbeads are non-biodegradable and hence have a long-term impact on the biological diversity and ecosystems. They allegedly stay in the water