Microbeads are small pieces of plastic that are typically round and very small. Usually, they’re only about a millimeter in size. They’re used in exfoliating beauty products like body wash and face scrub. They are very dangerous to the environment, and thankfully they have been banned in personal care products by most first-world countries as of 2015, which went into effect in 2018 in the USA.
Here are the many problems they cause.
* They Do Not Dissolve – These beads, while they do enhance the product and make it work better, have a horrible effect on the environment. Just because they are small, people think it’s okay. But the truth is, microbead pollution has been found in every part of the explored ocean.
* They Damage Marine Life – Sea life ends up ingesting the microplastic from the ocean which then affects their reproductive health. Since they cannot really digest the plastic it also stays in their stomach, and then humans and other animals eat it.
* They Are Bad for Human Health – Plastic is a hormone disruptor and is not suitable for you or the environment. It is thought to cause early puberty, DNA changes, and more. Cancer, birth defects, and other ailments have all been linked to plastic in our environment.
* They Are Bad for Animals – In the same way that plastic is terrible for humans, it’s bad for animals who are more susceptible to accidentally ingesting plastic that’s left out in the wild by human pollution. As mentioned, humans then eat the animals which then puts them in danger too.
* They Are Risky to Our Food Chain – Microplastics are very dangerous to the food chain and are causing the mass extinction of any number of animals. Remember that even if you don’t know the name of the animal that has been damaged, it’s still important to the balance of our ecosystem.
* They Absorb Toxins – The microbeads absorb toxins like pesticides in the environment, and then animals and humans accidentally ingest it through the food supply.
* They Harm Birds – Birds often find these particles in the environment and mistake them for food. They’ll feed it to their babies, and due to poor nutrition, it harms the offspring and reduces fertility.
* They’re Plastic – It’s been mentioned several times because it’s essential. We need to stop using all forms of plastic, from microbeads to storage containers, to furniture and other products, as it’s a proven hazard to the environment.
The best thing you can do is avoid plastic in any of your products. The best way to do that is to simply read the ingredients of the things that you buy. Take clues from some words like “exfoliant” and seek to find out what’s acting as the exfoliant. Use filtered tap water, limit eating meat and fish, and stick with non-synthetic clothing.
