Skip to main content


Repost Message will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates of this posting because it will affect the original.

MCC Daily Tribune

Green Tip: Microplastics and Microbeads

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles (less than 0.2 inches in diameter). These microplastics in our water systems are ingested by marine animals which we eat and have also been detected in drinking water. Standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all traces of microplastics. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), researchers are examining the physical and chemical effects of ingesting microplastics on organisms and how those chemicals may travel through the food web. Learn more about plastic marine debris (PDF).

Single-use plastics (items used once and discarded such as straws, plastic disposable eating utensils, and one-time-use water bottles) are the primary source of secondary microplastics (particles from the breakdown of larger plastic items). Microbeads are a primary microplastic – that is a plastic particle created that is smaller than 0.2 inches in diameter. View this short video, The Story of Microbeads.

The cosmetic industry is in the top three for both the use of microplastics and pollution caused by microplastics. Almost 9 in 10 products from major cosmetic brands also contain microplastics. The microplastics come from rinse-off products like shampoos and scrubs but also from creams and make-up that are washed off at the end of the day. Nail polish that flakes also adds to microplastics.

Congress passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 which prohibits the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads and it also applies to other products such as toothpastes. This federal law covers products intended to exfoliate or cleanse the body or a part of the body.

What you can do to help reduce the introduction of microplastics to the environment:
1.    Stop using disposable plastics 

  • Say no to the straw or use paper, reusable silicone or metal straws.
  • Use bamboo/wooden utensils or purchase a travel set you can wash and reuse.
  • Use a refillable water bottle.
  • Pack lunch with reusable containers rather than plastic bags.

2.    Avoid cosmetics containing microplastics/microbeads

  • Don’t purchase items with “polyethylene” in the ingredients label.
  • Avoid products with “PEG-, PE, PP, PNMA, PET” ingredients. (These are all abbreviated microplastics.)
  • Look for eco-friendly plastic-free packaging.

Ann Penwarden
Sustainability Steering Committee
05/09/2023