The Pacific country of Palau has become the first country to ban sun cream containing chemicals deemed harmful to corals and sea life.
Starting January 1, Palau will ban sun cream with common ingredients, such as oxybenzone, from being worn or sold in the country.
Palau's President Tommy Remengesau said: "We have to live and respect the environment because the environment is the nest of life." The island country promotes itself as a "pristine paradise" destination for divers.
The nation, which has a population of about 20,000 spread across hundreds of islands, boasts of a lagoon in its Rock Islands that has been labeled as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
First announced in 2018, the ban prohibits sun cream containing any one of a list of 10 ingredients that include oxybenzone and octinoxate, which absorb ultraviolet light. According to the International Coral Reef Foundation, these banned chemicals are "known environmental pollutants - most of them are... incredibly toxic to juvenile stages of many wildlife species".
President Remengesau pointed out: "When science tells us that a practice is damaging to coral reefs, to fish populations, or to the ocean itself, our people take note and our visitors do too. Toxic sunscreen chemicals have been found throughout Palau's critical habitats, and in the tissues of our most famous creatures."
"We don't mind being the first nation to ban these chemicals, and we will do our part to spread the word," he added.
According to experts, the number of sun creams containing the harmful chemicals is declining and in 2018, they can only be found in around half of creams and lotions.
The US state of Hawaii has announced a similar ban, which will be implemented starting 2021. In response to the announcement, major brands have issued statements saying their products were "reef bill compliant".
Other places that announced similar bans, include the US Virgin Islands and the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire.
