Canadian government plans to ban Microbeads
Today the Canadian federal government announced that that Canada is developing measures to ban microbeads; these measures will protect the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence region from the harmful effects of these contaminants. This announcement comes on the heels of Environment Canada’s scientific report on microbeads, which concludes that the substance represents a threat to environmental quality. The Canadian government also recommends that microbeads be considered toxic substances, according to the criteria of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This action follows progress from several American states that have passed legislation to ban the sale and distribution of microbeads, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec have also been leaning towards similar action.
The Cities Initiative commends the Canadian government for this announcement. The Cities Initiative encourages the Government to adopt a tight timeframe for the elimination of microbeads in personal care products.
This announcement is excellent news for the health of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The Cities Initiative strongly encourages the Canadian federal government to continue to move forward with this action.
Read more about microbeads here: https://glslcities.org/initiatives/microplastics/