Microbeads, microplastics; the sad truth is, they may be tiny, but a massive problem for the environment, and us. We love our oceans teeming with sea life, mermaids, water babies, and frolicking Wyld things in micro-bikinis. These, and microplastics do not mix.

So let’s look at the microbead problem with a microscope.

What are mircobeads?

Microbeads are tiny plastics that are commonly found in facial scrubs, exfoliators, toothpaste, hand wash, beauty products (but there’s nothing beautiful about them) and many other everyday products. Take a peek at the ingredient list on the back of your products. Polyethylene and polypropylene are the two main types of plastic to look out for. You can find the full list of microplastics here.

Why are they nasty AF?

They’re so tiny they get into everything - waterways, lakes, oceans, bellies of fish and our bodies. These plastics take hundreds of years to disintegrate, or not at all. 

What’s the current situation?

UK and Canada have banned microbeads and several countries including the US, New Zealand, India and Taiwan, are in the process of finalizing microbead phase-outs. However, there are still products that contain microplastics including glitters in cosmetics that contain aluminum and PET, that are just as harmful. 

What can Wyld things do?

Even with bans and phase outs, these trillions of tiny buggers are still in tons of everyday products sold around the world. Microbeads are entirely unnecessary when there are so many natural alternatives available. In short, our wellbeing and wellness starts at home, our planet, and our waters. So scrub yourself naturally Wyld things.

Xx