EU microplastics ban needs to aim smaller, advisers say

FILE PHOTO: Plastic waste is pictured at the bottom of the sea, off the island of Andros, Greece, July 20, 2019. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A draft EU ban on microplastics would allow industry to use even smaller particles in cosmetics, detergents and paints, which could be more damaging than the tiny pieces of plastic already clogging up the natural world, campaigners and some EU advisers say.

The Commission, the EU executive, will next year seek a ban following a proposal from EU agency the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to prevent the addition of microplastics to certain products sold in Europe.