(VIC) Ban Microbeads in Household Products

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Author: Jack Gleeson-Ross, Danya Daoud & Syeda Ailiya Naqvi | Publish date: 19/1/2026

• P: In VIC, household products can still legally contain plastic microbeads. 

• S: The VIC Minister for the Environment should amend the Environment Protection Amendment (Banning Single-Use Plastic Items) Regulations 2022 (VIC) to prohibit the sale, supply, or distribution of all household products containing intentionally added plastic microbeads. 

  
  

Problem Identification: 

Section 134B of the Environment Protection Amendment (Banning Single-Use Plastic Items) Regulations 2022 (VIC) identifies ‘banned single use plastic item[s]’. However, intentionally added plastic microbeads are not included.

According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), microbeads continuously enter waterways and ecosystems, contributing to avoidable microplastic pollution. The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has stated that microbead pollution has a ‘damaging effect on marine life, the environment and human health.’

Context: 

Microbeads refer to ‘small, solid, manufactured plastic particles that are less than 5mm in diameter and do not degrade or dissolve in water.’ A study by Tanaka and Takada (2016) has noted that microbeads are a form of microplastic; therefore, the documented negative impacts of microplastic pollution are directly applicable.

Microbeads are known to be intentionally added to rinse-off products ‘as an exfoliant, abrasive, or as a bulking agent.’ They are found in ‘deodorants, antiperspirants and perfumes’, ‘beauty products’, and ‘cleaning products such as washing powders’. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that ‘in some cases, these products are made of more than 90 per cent plastic.’ According to CHOICE, ‘manufacturers have increasingly replaced less durable natural abrasive materials such as sea salt, ground pumice and oatmeal with microbeads, which are cheaper to use.’

Arguments:

The AMCS has argued that microbeads from household products present a major environmental threat. They noted that ‘because these plastics are so tiny, they cannot be filtered out during normal sewage treatment works, and can be washed into our oceans.’ Hunt et al. (2021) have found that most products containing microbeads ‘are rinsed off during product use; as a result, they are washed down the drain and frequently pass through wastewater treatment processes, absorbing toxic chemicals on the way, before entering aquatic systems where they can be ingested by animals.’ For example, Banaee et al. (2025) noted that ‘once fish ingest [microplastics], they can have adverse effects on their health’, including internal blockages, reduced feeding ability, reproductive harm, and death. Animals Australia has noted that ‘microbeads function like miniature sponges, absorbing things like pesticides and other chemical runoff’ and ‘can be up to a million times more toxic than the water they’re floating in.’ According to the NSW Environment Protection Authority, microbeads ‘do not readily biodegrade and are almost impossible to remove from the environment due to their size.’ 

According to the DCCEEW, microbeads ‘have a damaging effect on … human health’. According to a study by Yuan et al. (2022), the negative effects of microplastic contamination in aquatic life can be passed onto humans through seafood consumption. Animals Australia explained that ‘marine worms ingest these toxins and then, when they’re eaten by fish or other predators, the fish gobble up microbead poisons along with the worms’, thus entering the food chain. Bora et al. (2024) found that microplastic exposure is linked to ‘gastrointestinal disorders, systemic inflammation, and chronic diseases.’ The Austin Clinic also highlighted that microbeads can enter the body through a process known as dermal absorption, after penetrating the skin’s external layer, and can cause ‘scarring’, ‘bacterial skin infections’, ‘vision problems’, ‘wrinkles and fine lines’.

Despite the voluntary phase-out of microbeads by some cosmetics and personal care product companies, scientists and environmentalists have argued that a ‘voluntary ban is a good start but is not strong enough.’ According to Tara Jones from the AMCS: 

banning intentionally-added microplastics in rinse-off personal care is a great start, but there are so many other products that contain microbeads that don't fit this category — cleaning products, makeup, moisturisers and deodorants often have microplastics in them, but these aren't covered by the state bans or voluntary phase-out.

Advice/Solution Identification:

The AMCS has called for a ban on microbeads. They have argued there is an urgent ‘need to ban microbeads in household products’. The DCCEEW has stated that it is ‘important to stop microbeads polluting the environment’ because of their  ‘damaging effect on marine life, the environment and human health.’ They have further reiterated that ‘the best way to reduce the impact of microbeads is to prevent them from entering the environment in the first place.’

Precedent:

There is domestic and international precedent for the banning of microbeads. In NSW, microbeads were prohibited through the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 (NSW). Internationally, countries including the US, the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden have introduced bans on microbeads.

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Public Support: 

1. Australian Marine Conservation Society

2. Austin Clinic - Balgowlah

News Coverage:

• 9 News - “Aussie skincare products pulled from shelves over banned ingredient”. This article reported that the NSW EPA issued compliance notices to 6 businesses over microbeads being found in products in NSW. By: Yashee Sharma | Tue 4 November 2025 - Read the article here.

• 9 News - “Ban on single-use plastic and polystyrene items comes into effect in Victoria”. This article reported that the Victorian ban on single-use plastic came into effect, but it did not extend to microbeads. By: Serena Seyfort | Wed 1 Feb 2023 - Read the article here.

• ABC News - “Coles, Woolworths pledge to remove products containing plastic microbeads”. This article reported that Coles and Woolworths had committed to the removal of products containing microbeads after Sydney scientists found microbeads in fish. By: Sarah Whyte & Amy Sherden | Thu 7 January 2016 - Read the article here.

• SBS News - “Why these skincare products with a banned ingredient are still being sold in Australia”. This article reported that the NSW EPA recalled products that contained illegal microbeads and outlined calls for bans in other jurisdictions. By: Alexandra Koster | Tue 4 November 2025 - Read the article here.

• Smart Company - “Coles, Natio and more ordered to stop selling beauty products with banned ingredient”. This article reported that the NSW EPA ordered businesses to stop selling products with microbeads and detailed the associated issues with microbeads. By: Eloise Keating | Mon 3 November 2025 - Read the article here.

Where to go to learn more: 

1. (2025) Australian Marine Conservation Society - This release provided an overview of microplastics in Australia and explicitly called for the ban of microbeads across all states and territories. Read the release here.

2. (2025) Environmental Toxicology of Microplastic Particles on Fish: A review - This paper investigated the effects of microplastics exposure, including microbeads, on freshwater and marine fish. It found that microplastics exposure had adverse effects on the fish, and toxicity magnified as they moved up the food chain. Read the paper here. 

3. NSW Environment Protection Authority - A summary of the definition, issues and causes of microbeads, including information on the NSW microbead ban. Read the summary here. 

4. Environment Protection Amendment (Banning Single-Use Plastic Items) Regulations 2022 (VIC) - View the Regulation here.

Human Perspective: 

Olivia, from Geelong, has used the same face scrub since high school, trusting it as a harmless part of her routine. However, she recently discovered that it contains plastic microbeads, something the packaging never made clear. With every wash, thousands of microscopic plastic particles were rinsed down the drain, passing through wastewater treatment systems and flowing into local waterways, including Corio Bay and Port Phillip Bay, where they persist and harm marine ecosystems. When she realised the scale of the harm, she felt unsettled that an ordinary product had caused such environmental damage. 

To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.

Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement: 

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Support 

If your organisation would like to add your support to this paper or suggest amendments, please email Info@foreaustralia.com. 

Reference list: 

Australian Marine Conservation Society. (2025). Microplastics. https://www.marineconservation.org.au/microplastics/ 

Banaee, M., Multisanti, C. R., Impellitteri, F., Piccione, G., & Faggio, C. (2025). Environmental toxicology of microplastic particles on fish: A review. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology, 287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.110042 

Bora, S. S., Gogoi, R., Sharma, M. R., Anshu, Borah, M. P., Deka, P., Bora, J., Naorem, R. S., Das, J., & Teli, A. B. (2024). Microplastics and human health: Unveiling the gut microbiome disruption and chronic disease risks. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1492759 

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2021, October 11). Plastic microbeads. Australian Government. 

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/plastics-and-packaging/plastic-microbeads

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (2017). The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (England) Regulations 2017, S.I. 2017/1312 (UK). The National Archives. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/1312/contents

Environment Protection Amendment (Banning Single-Use Plastic Items) Regulations 2022 (VIC). https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/22-085sra%20authorised.pdf 

Hunt, C. F., Lin, W. H., & Voulvoulis, N. (2021). Evaluating alternatives to plastic microbeads in cosmetics. Nature Sustainability, 4(4), 366–372. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-00651-w

Koster, A. (2025, November 4). Why these skincare products with a banned ingredient are still being sold in Australia. SBS News. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/why-these-skincare-products-with-a-banned-ingredient-are-still-being-sold-in-australia/6zz7tsa7t&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1765417213137811&usg=AOvVaw0AqbBjyM0lMVH5rEvPNw8V

Miller, M. (2022, July 5). Why You Need to Say NO to Microbeads. Austin Clinic Balgowlah. https://www.austinclinic.com.au/why-you-need-to-say-no-to-microbeads/

Netherlands Enterprise Agency. (n.d.). Ban on microplastics. Business.gov.nl. https://business.gov.nl/regulations/ban-on-microplastics/#art:which-products-are-banned

NSW Environment Protection Authority. (n.d.). What are microbeads? NSW Government. https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Your-environment/Waste/reducing-your-household-waste/what-are-microbeads

Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 No 31 (NSW). https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2021-031 

Swedish Chemicals Agency. (2025, February 11). Plastic microbeads in cosmetic products. Kemikalieinspektionen. https://www.kemi.se/en/rules-and-regulations/rules-applicable-in-sweden-only/certain-swedish-restrictions-and-bans/plastic-microbeads-in-cosmetic-products

Tanaka, K., & Takada, H. (2016). Microplastic fragments and microbeads in digestive tracts of planktivorous fish from urban coastal waters. Scientific Reports, 6, Article 34351. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep34351 

United States Congress. (2015). Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, H.R. 1321, 114th Cong. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1321/text

Whyte, S. (2016, January 20). Microbeads: How some of your favourite beauty products are wreaking havoc on the environment. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-21/microbeads-beauty-exfoliating-products-environmental-damage/7095108

Whyte, S., & Sherden, A. (2016, January 7). Coles, Woolworths pledge to remove products containing plastic microbeads. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-07/coles-woolworths-support-ban-on-microbeads-in-australia/7073674