Last month, Illinois became the first state to ban the sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads.
Microbeads are tiny plastic spheres that are used as an exfoliating agent in a variety or cosmetics, from face and body washes to toothpaste. They are also an ecological nightmare. Because the beads are so tiny, they pass through most water treatment facilities undetected. When they enter the water supply, they pose a threat to aquatic life.
Fish and other animals inadvertently ingest the plastic, which can lead to illness and starvation. The microbeads also absorb dangerous chemicals like DDT, posing an additional threat to fish and the humans who eat them.
The Great Lakes are home to huge quantities of microbeads. One study found up to 466,000 of the plastic particles per square kilometer, and even larger amounts are thought to exist in Lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. This is why the action taken by Illinois is so important.
Some cosmetics companies have already volunteered to phase out plastic microbeads and replace them with natural alternatives, like oatmeal, sea salt, and apricot kernel. But legislation is necessary to ensure that all cosmetic companies follow suit, and do so in a timely manner.
New York, Ohio, and California are expected to enact microbead bans. And last month, New Jersey congressman Frank Pallone introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2014. If passed, it would ban the manufacture and sale of all cosmetic microbeads nationally by 2018.
In the meantime, we can all do our part by avoiding cosmetics that contain microbeads.
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Why Illinois has banned exfoliating face washes
Photo, posted August 28, 2010, courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, with script contribution from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.