Clean water is a luxury we have come to expect as a given living in the U.S. (Though some cities like Flint, MI, are discovering what the flipside is really like, unfortunately.) Water is the foundation of most spas and spa therapies, making it even more important to the industry. As a result we were thrilled to hear that the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 passed through Congress easily at the end of 2015. It was introduced in the House in March, passed through the House in early December, and a week later received the Senate’s approval by unanimous consent. Under the new law, companies will have to stop using beads in their products by July 2017. The tiny beads can cause big problems in waterways, as they slip through wastewater treatment systems. A whopping 11 billion microbeads are released into waterways across the country each day, according to estimates. As far as we’re concerned, the ban couldn’t come soon enough, and we’re looking forward to a completely microbead-free world of beauty products, treatments, and waterways!
For more on microbeads and the mini menace they are, check out Banning the Bead.