Virtually indestructible and millimeters in size, microbeads can be found in many common household cosmetic products. New legislation in the Albany County Legislature would see them banned.
Because of their tiny size, microbeads pass through water treatment plants and end up discharged into our lakes and rivers. The plastics in microbeads then cause harm to both water systems and the wildlife that mistake them for food.
After a statewide ban on microbeads fell through, the pressure is now on local counties to take action. Facewashes proclaiming the exfoliating power of microbeads are the main culprit, while some toothpastes also contain microbeads.
County officials are using Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s proposed “Microbead-Free Waters Act” as inspiration for the legislation. If passed, all sales of micobead products would be banned. The legislation is sponsored by County Legislator Bryan Clehan (D- Guilderland) and County Legislator Chris Higgins (D- Albany).
“Microbeads don’t biodegrade, so the problem accumulates… If we don’t ban them now, this will become very costly for taxpayers down the road,” said Clehan when the bill was introduced to Albany County Legislature Monday, Sept. 14.
As most current water treatment centers are unable to remove the nano-sized beads without adding costly retrofits, the legislation proposes to save taxpayers money by banning microbeads altogether. Of the 610 wastewater treatment plants in New York, 403 use no treatments that can effectively remove microbeads from systems.
Damage by plastics to our water streams is well documented in scientific literature, as plastics are known to accumulate poisonous chemical debris like PCBs as they biodegrade. When residents wash their face and brush their teeth with microbead products, they unknowingly send harmful chemicals to local water sources.
A study from Schneiderman looking at the Great Lakes of western New York showed increasing rates of these microplastics since 2012. The concentration rivaled the highest concentration of microplastics from the world’s largest ocean garbage patches. Average concentrations of microplastics in the Great Lakes were higher than both the South Pacific Gyre garbage patch and the North Atlantic Gyre garbage patch, but not quite so high as the North Pacific Gyre, the largest garbage patch on earth.
“Microbeads are a pointless waste that comproises our wastewater system, pollute our waterways, harm wildlife, and ultimately become a public health concern,” said Saima Anjam, environmental health director at Environmental Advocates of New York.
The attorney general as well as many other environmental organizations are advocating for a ban in every county in the state. Although passage of the statewide ban had seemed assured when the measure received overwhelming bipartisan support in the State Assembly, the bill died in the Environmental Conservation Committee.
Erie County has just signed a similar ban into law, while Chatauqua County, Cattargus County and the Town of Wilson are moving similar measures forward. Internationally, the Dutch Parliament is promoting a European ban on microplastics in cosmetics.
Companies like Wegman’s and Tops have already voluntarily banned the sale of microbeads in their stores. Neutrogena and Johnson & Johnson have also publicly pledged to phase microbeads out of their products, since learning of their harmful environmental effects.
Conservation societies such as the Environmental Advocates of New York, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper have all publicly supported the bill.
“Our commitment to protecting and restoring New York’s waters is among our most important responsibilities,” said Schneiderman. Under his “common-sense” legislation, the ban will “stop the flow of plastic from ill-designed beauty products into our vital waters, preserving our natural heritage for future generations.”