The House of Representatives voted this week to ban plastic microbeads in personal hygiene products, such as facial scrubs and body washes. The little exfoliating wonders are an environmental nightmare, apparently. So, the legislation now goes to the Senate. If passed there and signed by our Commander in Chief, it’s bye-bye bath beads.
The House of Representatives voted this week to ban plastic microbeads in personal hygiene products, such as facial scrubs and body washes. The little exfoliating wonders are an environmental nightmare, apparently. So, the legislation now goes to the Senate. If passed there and signed by our Commander in Chief, it’s bye-bye bath beads.
Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced the legislation earlier in 2015. His goal was to protect our lakes and streams from a deluge of itsy-bitsy pieces of plastic. Some of you might be wondering why he is so concerned about this when there are other issues at stake.
While the microbead issue may seem as small as the beads themselves, it is actually pretty macro in terms of environmental damage. These beads typically between 0.0004 to 1.24 millimeters in size, easily sneaking past water filtration systems making it into our lakes and streams. According to a paper published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in December 2013, Lake Michigan contained an average 17,000 microbeads per square kilometer and some areas of Lake Ontario had as much as 1.1M beads per square kilometer.
The damage they do is on the macro scale. Microbeads can coat the lakebed, choking out any plant life and causing oxygen levels to plummet. Certain small fish mistake the indigestible beads for fish eggs and eat them. Eventually, their stomachs fill with plastic and they starve to death. The cycle continues when larger fish eat the smaller ones and so on and so on.
As if it weren’t enough, plastic acts as a sponge for some pollutants, such as pesticides and motor oils. When the fish eat them, these toxins are absorbed and passed on up the food chain ultimately stopping at us.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-MI) said, “Simply put, microbeads are causing mega-problems. Once they’re flushed down the drain, that’s when the problem really begins.”
Rep. Pallone, the ranking Democrat on the Committee, added, “We must put a stop to this unnecessary and avoidable pollution.”
This legislation would preempt states from passing laws regulating microbeads. This provision was added, according to Pallone, because it phases out microbead-containing products faster than any current state laws. The products banned would be all non-prescription, rinse-off items, including toothpaste.
The House got a high five from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) for passing the bill. “Plastics play a vital role in our economy—from helping build and maintain homes to advancing new technologies. H.R. 1321 is an important step to ensure we have one sensible, national standard for phasing out the use of solid plastic microbeads in personal care products across America.”
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