California joins other states that will prohibit the sale of personal care products like soap, facial and body scrubs, toothpaste, and other products with microbeads, according to a report from Los Angeles Times.
California State Governor Jerry Brown had recently signed the legislation of Assemblyman Richard Bloom that bans the use of plastic microbeads as of Jan. 1, 2020.
Environmentalists have been pushing for the approval of the legislation to ban the use of plastic microbeads, according to the Los Angeles Times.
They are saying that plastic microbeads can get into typical water treatment plants and end up polluting the water.
Stiv Wilson, the director of campaigns at the nonprofit group the Story of Stuff Project, told The New York Times that they are excited with the development.
"We just passed a very simple ban on plastic microbeads without any loopholes," he said.
The New York Times adds that the consumer product industry has been complaining certain aspects of the bill.
They are arguing that the bill is very restrictive and did not allow companies to find environment-friendly alternatives.
The New York Times adds that California's rules include a prohibition against biodegradable microbeads.
Other states didn't have the same restriction.
The New York Times adds that microbeads look like tiny dots that are suspended in cleaners and other toiletries.
They are used by manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble and have exfoliating power.
Bloom said that the measure he created, which he calls AB 888, is the most stringent ban in the nation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"While other states have passed regulations on the use of microbeads, this legislation was carefully crafted to avoid any loopholes that would allow for the use of potentially harmful substitutes," he said in a statement. "AB 888 ensures that personal care products will be formulated with environmentally safe alternatives."
