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Legislation to reduce microplastic pollution : understanding the factors that facilitated passage of the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015
Summary
This study analyzes the political and advocacy factors that led to the passage of the US Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015, which banned plastic microbeads in personal care products. It identifies how scientific evidence, industry opposition, and public concern shaped the legislative outcome.
The full environmental impacts of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments remain uncertain, but several detrimental effects have been documented, including adverse health effects in multiple species and the susceptibility of microplastics to adsorb toxins and leach plastic additives. Plastic microbeads from rinse-off personal care products are a source of microplastic pollution that is introduced directly into the environment through runoff, including wastewater treatment plant effluent. In December 2015, the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015 banned the manufacture and sale of all rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads in the United States.