Hawaii became the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens with coral-harming chemicals.
Hawaii governor David Ige signed into law Senate Bill 2571 at the State Capitol in Honolulu, Hawaii. SB 2571 states that the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate “have significant harmful impacts on Hawaii’s marine environment and residing ecosystems.”
The bill prohibits the sale and distribution of over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in Hawaii and was approved by legislators in May. The new law goes into effect January 1, 2021.
