This Valentine’s Day, Surfrider Foundation Europe, with Ici Barbès, launches a national and European awareness campaign on the impact of microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products. It is also a reminder of the urgent need to conserve the seabed.
“Bad cosmetics” is the name of the campaign launched on February 14th, a date that unsurprisingly coincides with a spike in consumer spending on cosmetics. The vast majority of cosmetics contain microplastics, which are small particles measuring less than 5 mm.
Beyond their impact on human health, the problem with microplastics is that they do not degrade in nature and continue to pollute the ocean forever. Each year, more than eight million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean, polluting both the surface and the seabed. One of the major contributors of global plastic pollution is microplastics.
Through this new campaign, which plays on the themes and messaging of common cosmetic advertisements, Surfrider Europe informs consumers about the presence of plastic in everyday products. It is also directed towards politicians and legislators to encourage a European wide ban on the intentional addition of microplastic ingredients.
The “Bad cosmetics” campaign thus highlights the dual effect of cosmetic products with what is promised to the consumer, the disappearance of imperfections, and what the industry deliberately omits to specify: the disappearance of aquatic fauna. Surfrider Europe reaffirms here once again its commitment against microplastics intentionally added to cosmetic products.
