Earlier this week New York State Attorney General Eric. T Schneiderman and other lawmakers proposed a ban on plastic microbeads in personal hygiene products, saying the beads can end up polluting our waterways, and urged companies to join the fight. L’Oréal says it’s been keeping an eye on the research as well, and will now start to phase out the plastic beads in its products.

It won’t be easy, but the company says it’s starting the process.

“It requires the analysis and identification of viable alternative(s) that can meet any criteria (including human and environmental safety, efficacy, sustainable sourcing of the raw material and overall costs,” a company rep said in a statement (via CosmeticDesign.com).

The phasing out will start with Biotherm this year, followed by its Body Shop products in 2015 and the rest of the company’s products in 2017.

Schneiderman lauded the news in a statement today, saying that the beads are accumulating in “alarmingly high levels” in New York waterways, at the expense of wildlife and public health.

“I applaud L’Oréal for quickly deciding to discontinue the use of microbeads in its products. Cooperation from the cosmetics industry signals a critical step toward protecting and preserving our environment,” he says in the statement. “We hope that other companies will take similar action to combat this emerging threat to our wildlife and public health.”

Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and Colage-Palmolive have all recently said they’d phase out the use of microbeads in their products as well.

You can follow MBQ on Twitter and she won’t pollute your waterways: @marybethquirk

L’Oréal announces microbead wipeout following NY proposed ban [ComseticDesign.com]

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