 |
5GYRES, a nonprofit organization committed to reducing and preventing plastic pollution in oceans and other waterways, has spearheaded the study of micro-plastics and their scientific research revealed an overwhelming presence of these particles in the Great Lakes. Dr. Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of 5GYRES, noted that the micro-bead concentration was higher in the Great Lakes "than most ocean samples collected worldwide" and of the five lakes Lake Erie was the most polluted. The pesky plastic pebbles are too small for any sewage or water treatment system to filter them out and once they invade open waters fish mistake them for food. As a further consequence, the risk of ingesting them ourselves becomes much higher. Corporate culprits such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Johnson & Johnson (to name a few) have been strongly urged by 5GYRES to phase out the use of micro-plastics.
"The [micro-plastic] particles can be easily mistaken for food by fish...and ingested and, in turn, may be ingested by humans."
- 5GYRES
As of June of this year, Illinois was the first state in the nation to ban the sale and manufacturing of products containing microbeads. While this sounds like a step in the right direction, 5GYRES clarifies that their "ban" will continue to cause harm and pose as a threat to our waters as alternative bioplastics will be proposed as a replacement for the microbeads. These "[bioplastics] don't break down in a cold, ocean environment -- only in a high heat, municipal composting facility" (5GYRES). Argh! Dealing with these 1/2 mm particles is an ongoing struggle and stubborn fight. More recently the ban in California failed to pass by ONE Senate vote. While this was very disheartening there is still time to become engaged in this very important matter and attempt a win in 2015. 5GYRES is collecting signatures and we encourage you to not only take action and sign their Ban the Bead petition, but to redirect your purchasing power to microbead-free products from here on out! Besides, who wants to wash their face with plastic anyways? Find healthier, natural alternatives for use during your personal hygiene routine (look for products that contain apricot kernel shells or jojoba beads!) -- your skin and the environment will thank you.
 |
| 5GYRES Microbead Infographic |
Sources:
Microplastics Invade Great Lakes - Environmental Leader
CA microbeads bill killed by Industry - 5GYRES
