Editor’s note: The Ocracoke Observer recently published an article on microbeads. (Click here ) and has gotten requests for a list of products that do not use microbeads. Microbeads are being phased out state by state. We present more information and will publish a fuller list of U.S. products once it is compiled.
By David Mickey
Want to know more about products with or without plastic microbeads? A few organizations have compiled lists.
The “Beat The Microbead” (www.beatthemicrobead.org) international campaign continues to research products in countries around the world. Completed PDF lists are on the website, although the list for United States is coming soon.
The campaign’s partner Fauna & Flora International, www.fauna-flora.org publishes the online “Good Scrub Guide” to inform consumers. Their website also offers a smart phone app so shoppers can easily check for plastic microbeads in the store before they make their purchase.
For more about the larger problem of plastic pollution in the oceans, see the Surfrider Foundation at www.surfrider.org.
