Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic that are often added to beauty products to gently exfoliate the skin. But environmental advocates say their small size makes them extremely difficult to filter and clean from water. They add that marine life often mistake the particles for food and when consumed the beads enter the food chain.
Late last week, President Obama signed a bill banning the use of microbeads from beauty projects. The ban will go into effect in January of 2018, but for some that’s just not soon enough. Kahi Paccaro is the Executive Director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i.
A study published by Environmental Science and Technology says on a daily basis the US currently emits enough microbeads to cover more than three tennis courts.
