CEO DATELINE - Business groups OK with federal ban on microbeads
CEO DATELINE - Business groups OK with federal ban on microbeads
- December 8, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would prohibit the use of tiny, plastic beads in personal care products, and many groups representing the industry said they have no problem with that.
Microbeads are used in toothpastes, facial cleaners and other personal care products as an abrasive. The problem is the plastic beads linger in the environment long after the products have been used, where they absorb other pollutants and are ingested by fish, according to The Detroit News. http://detne.ws/1TySUwe
Many personal care product manufacturers are phasing out the use of microbeads as a result. In a Nov. 17 letter, CEOs of four trade associations said they supported a federal ban on plastic microbeads, since such a law would preempt state attempts to pass their own bans.
"Out of an abundance of caution and as responsible product stewards, consumer product companies that are our members have voluntarily committed to discontinue formulating their products with solid plastic microbeads in favor of other viable alternatives," the groups said.
The heads of the American Chemistry Council, Personal Care Products Council, Consumer Health Care Association and SPI: The Plastics Trade Industry Association signed the letter. In a separate statement Monday, CPhA CEO Scott Melville praised passage of the bill, saying it gave manufacturers adequate time to make the necessary changes, since the ban would be phased in starting 2017.
"Our industry takes concerns about these solid plastic microbeads possibly entering the marine environment very seriously, and we are committed to reformulating cosmetic OTCs— such as acne face washes and toothpastes—to remove plastic microbeads," he said.
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