California has inched closer to reducing the amount of plastic making its way into common beauty products.
According to CBS 8, the California Senate Judiciary Committee has decided to advance AB 823: Solid waste: plastic microbeads: plastic glitter to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation aims to ban the sale of certain products containing plastic microbeads and plastic glitter. Specifically, it prohibits the sale of non-rinse-off personal care products and cleaning products containing plastic microbeads, as well as personal care products containing plastic glitter.
If enacted, AB 823 would prevent the sale, production, or distribution of products containing plastic microbeads after January 1, 2029. However, an exemption would be made for an entire year for products acquired and transported into California by the cutoff date. Those found in violation of the ban would face fines of up to $2,500 per day.
Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist and adjunct professor of cosmetic science at the University of Cincinnati, spoke to CBS 8 regarding the significance of plastic in popular cosmetics.
"Plastic glitters are made with sheets of polyethylene terephthalate, that's the plastic aspect of it, and then they're coated with a thin layer of aluminum, and that helps give you that real high sparkle and shine," Dobos said.
Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is commonly used in packaging and textiles. It's widely recognized for its use in beverage bottles, food containers, and clothing fibers. However, PET can break down into microplastics, which can enter the environment and potentially impact ecosystems and cause human health concerns.
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While states like California work toward limiting the amount of plastic making its way into everyday products, companies have been hard at work to create more eco-friendly alternatives, especially in cosmetics.
With plastic microbead alternatives still in the works, many companies may face increased costs and logistical challenges if AB 823 is enacted in California. Alternative materials may be more expensive to produce and transport, while switching supply chains to accommodate different packaging materials could also become another challenge for businesses.
"It's really hard to replace that plastic glitter, because it can hold up to those solvents, and it won't dissolve or degrade," Dobos explained to CBS 8. "We want to prove that it has that shelf life stability before we go out and put [it] into the market. So that will take some time. But I know that, you know, behind the scenes, we are working on it as an industry."
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