Lawmaker introduces bill banning hidden hazard in popular bath items: 'It's about protecting people'

The state of California is taking another bold step toward both consumer safety and environmental regulations, using the introduction of a new bill proposing a ban on microbeads.

SB 823 plans to put a further ban on microbeads in beauty, cleaning, and coating products. The bill cites growing evidence of microbeads being connected to both environmental harm and health concerns.

Microbeads — which are often found in face scrubs, toothpastes, and body washes — are designed as exfoliating agents, but they also have the unintended consequence of being hard to dispose of. Because they are too small to be filtered out of water systems, these microbeads end up in water sources and can be ingested through tap water.

The health concerns are numerous, as microbeads can do damage to internal organs when ingested, but the full extent of how they impact our health is yet to be discovered.

"It's about protecting people, especially the most vulnerable, who are disproportionately impacted from unnecessary harm," said Nyisha Green-Washington, the senior organizing manager at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. "Safer alternatives exist such as coconut shells, salt, and sand."

While support for this ban is widespread, there are concerns, especially among smaller manufacturers who may not have the bandwidth to reformulate their products by the time the ban would be put into action.

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In order to allay some of these concerns, lawmakers have considered allowing for transition and incentives for small companies, emphasizing the bill's importance. If passed, this bill would make California one of the leading states to taking care of microplastic pollution.

"When we think about plastic, we might picture littered beaches and heart-breaking images of turtles struggling to survive," said assemblymember Tasha Boerner, who introduced the bill. "But plastic pollution impacts more than our marine life and oceans. Tiny microplastics have infiltrated our waterways, soil, and our bodies. This isn't just an environmental issue. It's a public health issue."

If successful, this bill could create a community that is healthier nationwide, pushing us toward a cleaner — and safer — future.

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