The key facts
- New Jersey has proposed a 'Microplastic Protection Act' targeting chewing gum, tea bags, coffee, talc, and animal feed
- Three million dollars are planned to be allocated for implementing the initiative
- The scheme: three years of warnings on packaging, then a complete sales ban
What is proposed to be banned
The authorities of the US state of New Jersey intend to ban the sale of chewing gum and a number of other products due to possible microplastic content. The legislative initiative is reported by The Independent. The bill, titled the 'Microplastic Protection Act,' would affect manufacturers of chewing gum, tea bags, ground coffee, cosmetic talc, and animal feed — products in whose production particles of synthetic polymers end up in the composition.
How the ban will be introduced
Three million dollars are planned to be allocated for implementing the initiative. If the law is passed, companies will have three years to comply with the new requirements: first, manufacturers must place warnings about the presence of microplastics on packaging, and after that period, the sale of such products will be completely banned. Thus, the final ban is not yet a decision that has been made, but a scenario provided for in the bill that will only take effect if it is approved.
Context
In connection with the topic of microplastics, Life.ru also recalls its earlier article on how water left in a plastic container inside a scorching hot car changes: according to the publication, in addition to plastic microparticles, bacteria appear inside that can harm the body. There is no information yet in available publications about the position of manufacturers in the affected industries or about the further fate of the bill.
