Two-thirds of British public back microbead ban

Greenpeace poll finds 61% of women and 53% of men would follow US example and ban the use of plastic microbeads in exfoliant toiletries

Almost two-thirds of the British public think plastic microbeads used in exfoliant toiletries should be banned, according to a poll for Greenpeace.

The tiny beads are too small to be filtered effectively by water treatment and flow into the oceans, where they harm fish and other sea life. The US passed a ban at the end of 2015, with Canada set to follow suit and several EU nations - but not the UK - calling for a legal ban.