By Bailey Bischoff
“The negative environmental effect of microbeads first gained attention in 2013 after a report by 5 Gyres and the State University of New York at Fredonia revealed a high concentration of the plastics had infiltrated the Great Lakes. In response, Illinois became the first state to pass legislation against microbeads. The plastic pollution issue struck a chord with the public, notes Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council.
‘Illinois is rarely a state that steps up on environmental issues first, but Illinoisans care deeply about Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes,’ says Ms. Walling in an email.”