Microbead Plastics: Should They be Banned?

We were hopeful that these tiny beads were a harmless means to a cleaner mug, but the reality is that the plastics found in many body washes and facial scrubs have devastating effects on wildlife, especially in the Great Lakes region. It turns out these bitty beads have been busy making their way into large aquatic ecosystems where they absorb harmful chemicals in the water, and are then gobbled up by fish and other marine life, mistaking them for food. They oftentimes cause damage and even death, and are eventually found embedded in the tissue of different organisms. Although there is currently no evidence of the potential effects on humans, (it is yet to be researched) there is very real concern that they are making their way back into the food chain to be ingested by us.

Even though this may sound foreboding, there’s some good news. As researchers gather more evidence of the threat these products pose, states have begun to ban their manufacturing and sale. Illinois has taken a particularly strong stance on the matter, paving the path for many others, preventing any further production in order to preserve the already declining state of marine environments. There’s also a few campaigns, such as The Story of Stuff, and Beat the Bead that aim to raise awareness about environmental issues. Beat The Bead even has an app designed to display whether your soap houses these pesky little particles, just open it up, scan the barcode on your face scrub, and Viola! No plastic, no problem. If you can’t access the app, just look for ingredients like polyethylene or polypropylene, indicators that there’s plastic present.

You can check out The Story of Stuff Project’s sweet video here: