China has announced the ban on micro beads – solid plastic particles of less than five millimeter – in cosmetics by the end of 2020, writes China lawyer Mark Schaub at the China Law Insight. “The clock is ticking for cosmetics companies – domestic and international alike. Alternative ingredients need to be sourced quickly,” says Mark Schaub.
Mark Schaub:
Few people will be opposed to the ban on microbeads. The regulation is welcome from a number of perspectives – it is good for the environment, it reflects concerns of consumers, it requires companies to be socially responsible and it is further evidence that China takes the environment seriously.
However, the clock is ticking for cosmetics companies – domestic and international alike. Alternative ingredients need to be sourced quickly. Cosmetics companies will face constraints in possible cost factors but also due to the rigidity of the Chinese system for using new ingredients. Companies failing to take action quickly may find themselves locked out of the world’s largest market in the very near future.
More at the China Law Insight.
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