In response to the rise in plastic litter in the marine environment, a number of countries and regions have already introduced or are mulling legislation on a ban on microbeads (PIE has reported extensively). Keeping pace with the legal regime, consumer goods giant L’Oréal (Île-de-France / France; www.loreal.com) has announced that it has reformulated 80% of its product range, including exfoliations, that previously contained plastic microbeads.

The company first committed itself to gradually phasing out microbeads in 2014, and says it expects the switch to be completed by the end of 2016, ahead of its earlier forecasts. Alternative materials include minerals, powder of fruit kernels or natural waxes, among others.

The phase-out is part of the company’s sustainability programme in the lead-up to 2020. Other aspects of the initiative include an improvement in product biodegradability and water footprint, a focus on renewable raw materials and green chemistry, as well as a reduction in the environmental footprint of the company’s packaging. To achieve the latter, L’Oréal could potentially benefit from the partnership entered into by its Body Shop (London / UK; www.thebodyshop.com) subsidiary with sustainable materials company Newlight Technologies (Costa Mesa, California / USA; http://newlight.com) to use packaging made of methane rather than conventional plastics (see Plasteurope.com of 11.02.2016).