Legislation that would ban the sale of “micro-plastic particle abrasives,” commonly called microbeads, which was authored by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, has passed the state Assembly and is headed to Governor Jerry Brown for final approval.
Bloom, Malibu’s representative to the Assembly, chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Transportation. His bill, AB 888, would ban the waterway-clogging plastics from use in toiletries.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer to end micro-plastic pollution; the cost to the environment and wildlife is much too great. After years of negotiations with the personal care products industry and environmental and health organizations, AB 888 successfully passed both houses of the legislature and will soon reach the Governor’s desk,” Bloom said in a statement. “If the Governor signs this legislation into law, California will have the strongest regulations on micro-plastic beads in the country. It is my hope that these regulations contained in this bill will encourage other states to pass similar legislation for a better nationwide standard.”
Microbeads are considered dangerous for a number of reasons, according to Bloom’s statement. They are known to accumulate in gulfs, seas and inland waterways and cannot be easily removed through wastewater treatment. They also pose a threat to humans when used in toiletries such as toothpaste, potentially sticking in gums and causing disease.