Environmental degradation by microplastics is not an issue for you. Then please dig out your cosmetic products: Unfortunately, we will have to teach you better.en.
In the generally accepted definition, as used by the German Environment Agency, microplastics are plastic particles, polymers with a size of less than 5 millimeters. We fundamentally differentiate between two types:n:
- Consciously produced microplastics: These are the particles that are processed industrially, for example in cosmetics or diapers. We'll go into that in a moment.
- Microplastics from decay: These are the packaging, plastic bags and so on that gradually break down and become smaller and smaller.
In cosmetics, manufacturers use microplastics to achieve a mechanical cleaning effect, for example. Peelings and shower gels are right at the forefront, but face creams, toothpastes, lipsticks and other cosmetics are also part of the group..
The German Environment Agency estimates the amount of microplastics in cosmeticsin 2015 to 500 tons – Only for Germany! Worldwide, according to the study, we produce around 300 million tons of plastic annually and say goodbye to 30 million tons! in the waters and seas. That's a real problem. In another post we described how you generallyl less plastic can use.
Microplastics in cosmetics What is the problem?m?
In fact, cosmetic products only account for 2 percent of the microplastics in the waters. Tire abrasion and synthetic textiles lead the way: with every wash, we rinse your plastic fibers directly into the water cycle, around 1,900 per wash. The sewage treatment plants are unable to completely remove microplastics from the waterer remove and thus inevitably dismiss harmful ones Divide into the seas.
Even if cosmetics only seem to make up a small 2 percent, they are also involved in the consequences: The plastic particles can bind dangerous substances that are carcinogenic, toxic or hormonally effective. And that in a concentration up to a thousand times higher than the surrounding water allows.t.
How plastic effectively affects living things has not yet been adequately investigated. However, researchers have often observed inflammatory responses or behavioral changes in animals. In addition, the particles are active at the nano-level: The particles can affect the cell by reacting their shell, their interior, biological molecules or with the genetic material!!
But that's not all:
„Plastic endangers our ecosystems because it is now available as a supposed food for marine organisms. The smaller the microplastic, the more likely mussels, worms or fish will mistake the particles for food or ingest them passively through filtration.“
Nadja Ziebarth, marine protection expert at BUND.
That means: We get our own mistakes to eat, because the fish end up on our table again, directly or indirectly. That is the price for the irrationality of numerous cosmetics manufacturers to use substances that are not even beneficial for personal hygiene.n.
Shameful: Many well-known manufacturers continue to use microplastics
Despite all warnings from different directions Greenpeace, BUND and also the German Environment Agency and much more. there is no EU ban on microplastics in cosmetics. The manufacturers should do without it by self-commitment. The shows how well this workse Current list from BUND on cosmetic products with microplastics – and it is more than sobering:
Numerous well-known manufacturers use microplastics in their products and we were once again surprised that we would have believed that some of the candidates were more environmentally conscious.
Conclusion: Check your shower gels, face creams and all other cosmetic products and pay attention to what is in them.
Microplastics: These substances do not belong in your cosmetics
There is no other way, we have to look carefully at what we buy and use. If you don't want to flush microplastics into the water, you cannone of these substances on the labelstand:
- NOTE: Copolymers of acrylonitrile with ethyl acrylate or other acrylates
- EVA: ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers
- PA: polyamide nylon-12; Nylon-6; Nylon 66)
- PE: polyethylene
- PP: polypropylene
- PES: Polyester Polyester-1; Polyester-11)
- PET: polyethylene terephthalate
- PI: polyimide polyimide-11)
- PUR: polyurethane polyurethane-2; Polyurethane-14; Polyurethane-355)
The list is long and requires you to memorize a lot. You make it a little easier for yourself if, for example, you can code your product with a code check checked for questionable ingredients. By the way: You can find an article from Codecheck on the subject with a list of some environmentally harmful productshere.
What about microplastics at sober?
We usenoIngredients that we don't know what they do to human skin or the environment. That's why we don't put in any! of our cosmetic products microplastics are not used in our face creams, cleansers or aftershaves In this way we ensure that you can use our products without hesitation and without regrets. You can find more about environmental protection at soberDu here.
Plastic-free cosmetics Here it goess to the shop.
Our claim: Good personal hygiene should also be okay for the environment. #staysober
Simon