5 Gyres – Becoming #BEADFREE

It’s likely that you have already heard something about the negative impact microbeads are having on our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Whether you have or have not, here are some quick facts about microbeads worth knowing:

• Microbeads are small plastic “exfoliants” found in face scrubs and toothpastes. They are designed to wash off your body and down the drain.
• Microbeads are so small that they often end up passing through water treatment plants and into waterways like rivers and oceans.
• The US banned microbeads–thanks to the activism of organizations like our partner 5 Gyres–but the ban doesn’t go into effect until 2018.

Every year between now and when the ban on microbeads goes into effect, the US alone will emit enough microbeads to wrap around the planet seven times.

An estimated eight billion microbeads per day are being emitted into aquatic habitats in the United States, which equals approximately 2.9 trillion per year! Microbeads that make it to the ocean get caught in currents and end up polluting oceans and killing aquatic life around the world.

Even though this is such a massive problem, there is hope because you are the solution. 5 Gyres has set up a great action kit for you to use to help make your life and your community #BEADFREE.

We want to send a big THANK YOU to 5 Gyres for all the amazing work you do and for helping people take action to create a #BEADFREE world.