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New bill bans the sale and manufacture of products using plastic microbeads

Melly Kay

A new bill in the state house would ban the sale and manufacture of products using microbeads.

Microbeads are tiny plastic particles used in many personal care products including face washes, hand sanitizers, and even toothpaste.

Microplastic pollution has been shown to be widespread across the Great Lakes and scientists have begun raising concerns about the impacts of microplastics on human and ecosystem health.

Democratic State Representative Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) has introduced legislation to ban the use of microplastics in personal care products in Michigan.

“I often have trouble finding things like face wash and even toothpaste which you don’t notice as much because they aren’t floating around like in hand sanitizers and things like that but microbeads are in a lot of different products,” Pohutsky said.

The bill mimics the federal Microbead Free Waters Act of 2015. But, according to Pohutsky, the federal restrictions need to be backed by state law.

The bill would ban microbeads by 2022. By 2024 businesses that continue to sell microbeads would be subject to a fine.

Pohutsky said she’s not sure if the bill will be able to pass through the legislature. She encouraged state residents to try to reduce their microplastic use with or without the legislation.