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Congress OKs bill banning plastic microbeads in skin care products

It would appear as though the fight against microbeads in our personal care products is almost over. The United States Congress just approved legislation that would result in the phasing out of all plastic microbeads beginning in 2017. Plastic microbeads are used in everything from facial scrubs, to soaps, to the toothpaste we use on a daily basis. These microbeads pose serious health risks to not only wildlife, but humans as well. When the microbeads are washed down our drains, they soak up toxic chemicals along the way. Aquatic wildlife often end up ingesting what science educator Marcus Eriksen calls “toxic pills”. These toxins are ingested by small fish, then larger fish, and then by humans. While some states have begun instituting their own plastic microbeads laws, the federal law would take precedent and “would prohibit the manufacture of products containing plastic microbeads as of July 1, 2017, and phase out sales of the product over the next two years.” The signed legislation now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature.

To learn more about the proposed microbeads legislation, follow the link: http://cbsn.ws/1OcTsnc