The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“authorised person” means a person authorised under regulation 4(1);

“the Department” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;

“microbead” means any water-insoluble solid plastic particle of less than or equal to 5mm in any dimension;

“plastic” means a synthetic polymeric substance that can be moulded, extruded or physically manipulated into various solid forms and that retains its final manufactured shape during use in its intended applications;

“rinse-off personal care product” means any substance, or mixture of substances, manufactured for the purpose of being applied to any relevant human body part in the course of any personal care treatment, by an application which entails at its completion the prompt and specific removal of the product (or any residue of the product) by washing of rinsing with water, rather than leaving it to wear off or wash off, or be absorbed or shed, in the course of time;

and for this purpose—

(a)

a “personal care treatment” means any process of cleaning, protecting or perfuming a relevant human body part, maintaining or restoring its condition or changing its appearance; and

(b)

a “relevant human body part” is —

(i)

any external part of the human body (including any part of the epidermis, hair system, nails or lips);

(ii)

the teeth; or

(iii)

mucous membranes of the oral cavity; and

“supply”, in relation to a rinse-off personal care product, means supply by way of sale or its presentation as a promotional prize or gift in the course of a business.