The past few weeks have been busy and exciting on the plastic microbead front!
Microbeads are the ludicrous little plastic particles used as scrubbing agents in a variety of personal care products ranging from body scrubs to toothpaste. They are washed down the drain and end up in waterways where they absorb toxins and are ingested by fish.The 5Gyres Institute has been working for years to bring this issue into the mainstream and has had some huge successes: manufacturers agreeing to begin to phase out microbeads in their products, a state-wide ban in Illinois a couple of weeks ago, and similar legislation in the works for New York, California and Ohio.
***And just last week, U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced federal legislation – the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2014 – that would prohibit in the U.S. the sale or distribution of personal care products containing synthetic plastic microbeads.***
This is BIG step forward.
Now it’s time for Canada and other countries to step up and prevent these tiny persistent plastic pollutants from needlessly entering our fragile environment.
HELP SUPPORT 5GYRES BY CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR INDIEGOGO PLASTIC FREE OCEANS CAMPAIGN (Contributions will be matched by Klean Kanteen up to $15,000)
Image credits: 5Gyres.org