Those tiny, plastic beads you see in body washes and toothpaste are one step closer to vanishing.
The Senate unanimously approved a House bill Friday that bans the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products. The bill now goes before President Obama for his signature, and he has not signaled any veto threat.
Microbeads are tiny, plastic beads used as exfoliants in body washes, toothpastes and other care products. The beads are small but can escape wastewater treatment plants and get into waterways.
Scientists have found the beads in various bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which introduced the original ban. The beads can be eaten by fish and then passed on to other wildlife and humans.
“Christmas has come early for Lake Michigan and all of our nation’s waters,” said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., the committee’s chairman.
The bill would force companies to start phasing out the microbeads in July 2017.
