While many of you were taking down your holiday lights, President Obama signed into law the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 (catchy title, right?). Just when we thought Congressional members could agree on nothing, the ban on microbeads sailed through both the House and Senate with relative ease. Why? Probably because microbeads, plastics used as abrasives in personal care products like toothpaste and soaps, are making their way into the nation’s lakes and rivers at a volume of approximately 11 billion per day and wreaking havoc on fish and wildlife.
The legislation prohibits the manufacture of products containing microbeads as of July 1, 2017, and phases out sales of these products over the next two years.
So, your favorite exfoliator may have a different formulation in the future, but you can wash with a clear conscience knowing you’ll no longer be sending microbeads down the drain to species that are far less interested in skincare.
