Senate Passes Bill to Ban Plastic Microbeads in Certain Cosmetics
The Senate on Dec. 18 passed and sent to President Barack Obama for signature a bill that would prohibit the manufacture and entry into interstate commerce of rinse-off cosmetics containing “intentionally-added” plastic microbeads (here). Introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) on March 4, the “Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015” defines a “plastic microbead” as any solid plastic particle less than five millimeters and that is intended to “exfoliate or cleanse” any part of the human body. The bill’s definition of “rinse-off cosmetics” includes toothpaste. The House ratified the bill by unanimous voice vote on Dec. 7.
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The manufacturing ban would start on July 1, 2017, and the interstate commerce prohibition would begin on July 1, 2018, except for microbeads made for nonprescription drugs, whose respective bans would start one year later. The legislation would also forbid states and in-state jurisdictions from implementing any other restrictions on the interstate commerce and manufacturing of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads.