Notification date

 8 March 2017

Products covered

Personal care products containing microbeads that are rinsed off, for example body scrubs, facial cleaners, and toothpastes

Title of the notified document

Managing microbeads in personal care products: Consultation document (23 pages, in English)

Content

The New Zealand Government is considering making regulations under section 23(1)(b) of the Waste Minimisation Act (WMA) 2008 to prohibit or control the manufacture and sale of personal care products containing microbeads in New Zealand.
The proposal does not address controls around the importation or exportation of such products, nor does it consider regulation or controls of other products or sources of microplastics.
The New Zealand Government proposes that, should the proposed new regulations under the WMA be progressed through the necessary government process, they could enter into force in 2018.
For comments received in response to this notification, the closing date for submissions, as specified in the consultation document, is extended to 60 days from the date of this notification.

Objective

Environmental protection, marine ecosystem - Protection of animal or plant life or health

Proposed date of adoption

To be determined

Proposed date of entry into force

 2018

Final date for comments

 60 days from notification

For further information
• See the Managing microbeads in personal care products: Consultation document , New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, 2017