Microbeads

[Bob Of Burleson]

Push to ban plastic microbeads
from facial scrubs gains momentum

Illinois first to ban the tiny plastics, Great Lake mayors want action

By Amber Hildebrandt, CBC News

Environmentalists are hoping that the move by Illinois to ban the sale of facial exfoliators and body scrubs containing microbeads will mark the beginning of the end for the plastic pollutants.

Illinois this week became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the plastic spheres from personal care products. Four other states are poised to follow suit, part of a rising awareness of the environmental concerns posed by the tiny plastics.

"Banning microbeads will help ensure clean waters across Illinois and set an example for our nation to follow," Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said. "Lake Michigan and the many rivers and lakes across our state are among our most important natural resources."

The plastic beads come from exfoliating face washes, body scrubs, hand sanitizers and toothpaste, and the new Illinois law will ban their sale by the end of 2019.

Commonly made of polyethylene or polypropylene, the tiny beads range in size from 0.0004 to 1.24 mm, making them too small to be filtered out by wastewater treatment plants.

Often buoyant, the beads can soak up toxins like a sponge. And since they resemble the size of fish eggs, environmentalists fear the micro-plastics are making their way into the food chain via fish, birds and mammals.

Three other U.S. states — Ohio, New York and California — have microbead-free acts wending through their legislatures. Minnesota is seeking a study on the plastic's impact.

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