The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 is a United States law that prohibits the addition of plastic microbeads in the manufacturing of certain personal care products, such as toothpaste.

[2] Plastics are made from petroleum and resist biodegradation; they absorb persistent organic pollutants, leach chemicals that are toxic to humans and other organisms, degrade ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, and may impact migratory patterns, trophic structures (food chains), and habitats around the world.

[7] Despite their small size, microbeads are harmful to the environment since their properties allow them to readily absorb toxic chemicals and they are capable of bioaccumulating to the highest trophic level, which includes humans.

Their leadership spoke to the United States Congress, as did the support from the many groups who brought to light the harmful effects of microbeads.

[citation needed] On March 4, 2015, Representative Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey) introduced the microbead ban to the House.

[10] After the passage of the Act, the use of microbeads in toothpaste has been discontinued in the US,[11] however since 2015 the industry has shifted toward instead using FDA-approved "rinse-off" metallized-plastic glitter as their primary abrasive agent.

Some of these include beeswax, shells, nuts, seeds, and sand which are naturally occurring, biodegradable, and are already being used in numerous personal care products.