Are you following the ongoing news about polyethylene beads, otherwise known as microbeads? The subject of legislation in California last week, the tiny plastic pieces pose environmental and health risks to the world’s bodies of water and wildlife. California is the latest in a handful of states that have passed legislation to eventually ban the sale of products with microbeads.
PE beads are found in a wide variety of personal care products and aid in the exfoliation of dead skin cells. Alternative, biodegradable ingredients are gaining in popularity as consumers, companies and governments become more aware of their dangers.
News Drill Down:
- According to an article from the LA Times, the California Assembly and Senate have passed legislation “banning the sale of personal care products that contain plastic microbeads starting in 2020.”
- The Huffington Post reports that the first version of the bill only allowed for the use of natural alternatives for PE beads, like “ground walnut shells.” However, the language was changed to be inclusive of non-natural, but more environmentally-friendly replacements, as well.
- Nature World News discusses the findings of Plymouth University researchers that “a single use of a bead-containing product–which include hand cleansers, soaps, toothpaste, shaving cream, bubble bath, sunscreen and shampoo–can release 100,000 microbeads into marine environments.” The researchers, based in the UK, published their study in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Reading List:
LA Times: California lawmakers approve ban on plastic microbeads
The Huffington Post: California Lawmakers Approve Ban on Plastic Microbeads in Cosmetics
Nature World News: Marine Waste: Cleanser Can Release 100,000 Micro-Beads
Science Direct: Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of micro plastics extracted from cosmetics
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