In March, Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation H.R. 1321, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, which would prohibit the sale or distribution of personal care products that contain synthetic plastic microbeads. The bipartisan bill would ban the sale or distribution of cosmetics products containing plastic microbeads effective Jan. 1, 2018.
“Most people buying these everyday products are unaware of the damaging effects they are having on the environment," said Pallone. “But they are being washed down the drain and reaching our waterways, so we must make sure that these soaps and toothpastes don’t contain synthetic plastic that will ultimately contaminate our environment. I am glad to have Chairman Upton’s support as we work together to put an end to this entirely unnecessary pollution."
“I am excited to partner with the Ranking Member on an issue that is so important to my district in Southwest Michigan, the entire Great Lakes Region, and to me and my family personally," said Upton. “As someone who grew up on Lake Michigan and represents a large chunk of Michigan coastline, I understand firsthand how important it is to maintain the beauty and integrity of our Great Lakes."
Scientists have found evidence of microbeads in numerous bodies of water in the United States, including increasingly in the Great Lakes, the world’s largest source of freshwater. In addition to contributing to the buildup of plastic pollution in waterways, microbeads can often be mistaken by fish and other organisms as food. If consumed by fish, the chemicals found in synthetic plastic microbeads can then be passed on to other wildlife and humans.
The State of Illinois was the first to ban the sale of cosmetics containing microbeads back in 2014 and five states-New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Maine-have followed suit since. The Maryland and Wisconsin state legislatures have passed similar legislation, which currently awaits their governors’ approval before being enacted as state law, and 15 additional state legislatures are currently considering similar legislation.
