Overview

Small pieces of plastic—called microbeads—are accumulating in waterways across the U.S., and at least 15 states have passed or introduced legislation to address the problem. Microbeads are exfoliants commonly found in personal care products like soap. Due to the small nature of microbeads—less than one millimeter in diameter—the majority of water treatment plants are unsuitable for removing these particles from outgoing water. Once in the environment, microbeads absorb toxins before being ingested by fish that mistake them as a source of food. These toxins accumulate as they move up the food chain, and eventually pose a risk to humans and other wildlife eating the fish. Companies like L’Oreal and Johnson & Johnson recently announced plans to phase out microbeads, but it’s unclear whether they will use sustainable alternatives or other plastics.