The House of Commons Environment Audit Committee has published a report calling for a UK ban on microbeads in cosmetics by the end of 2017, according to a report published by Bloomberg.

“We need a full legal ban, preferably at an international level as pollution does not respect borders,” Mary Creagh, Chair of the Committed told Bloomberg. “If this isn’t possible after our vote to leave the EU then the government should introduce a national ban. The best way to reduce this pollution is to prevent plastic being flushed into the sea in the first place.”

The committee claimed that the commitments made by multinationals to voluntarily phase out use of micro-plastics in cosmetics were insufficient and that the UK should follow the US’ lead in banning them altogether. More, the fact that these micro-particles are entering the food chain through seafood was a cause for concern, and could impact on human health.