Liquid polymers

Plastic is everywhere. No wonder, because more and more of it has been produced since 1950. There are now 400 million tonnes worldwide every year. And production is growing.

By 2030, plastic production in the Increase by 40 per cent compared to 2015. (1)

The problem: plastic is not biodegradable at all or only with difficulty.

Find out here why plastic is harmful to health and why it urgently needs to be reduced.

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Everyday and everywhere

Larger plastic objects are referred to as plastics or macroplastics. Numerous household items, tubes, bottles and jars are made of macroplastics, which are produced from crude oil and natural gas and require a lot of energy. What's more, more than a third of macroplastic production is attributable to the packaging industry for food and care products alone.

Tiny, but with drastic consequences

Macroplastics are broken down in the environment by the sun, wind and waves in the water to form so-called microplastics. Examples include the decomposition of plastic bags or the abrasion of polyester clothing. Microplastics are defined as pieces of plastic that are smaller than 5mm. However, microplastics are not only produced by decomposition, but are also added as a powder, in washing gels, washing powder or in tiny form in lipsticks or eye shadow. Whether through decomposition or deliberate addition, microplastics end up in the oceans via wastewater. Microorganisms and fish cannot distinguish microplastics from normal food. And so the plastic ends up back on our plates via the food chain.

This is how Over 80 per cent of microplastic intake from food. Especially in regions such as South East Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, where water pollution with plastic is high, people consume up to 15 grams of microplastics per month, the highest value in the world.

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The problem

Since 2018, microplastics have been detected in almost every human organ. The latest studies show that microplastics have harmful effects on our health. For example, in Mouse experiments It has been shown that microplastics cause dementia. (2) Inflammatory diseases of the intestinal and gastrointestinal tract Cardiovascular system. (3)

This is aggravated by the fact that over 16,000 chemicals determine the properties and hardness of plastic. (4). 2.480 of these chemicals are of concern to health and are overly toxic. 9.000 has not yet been investigated in studies. (5)

When plastic breaks down into microplastics, these chemicals are released into the environment with uncertain effects.

As early as 2021, a Study from San Francisco 109 industrial chemicals in the blood of newborn babies and their mothers. (6) This showed that chemical particles can be transferred from the mother to the unborn child:

• 55 substances were detected in human blood for the first time
• 28 substances were clearly attributable to the cosmetics sector
• The sources and areas of application could not be determined for 42 chemical compounds.

And another study from Amsterdam detected microplastics in the breast milk of all the test subjects examined.

It is therefore clear that we need to act quickly now.

How to act?

Take action and opt for plastic-free skincare products. You can find out in detail how this works on our website in our FAQs or simply search directly for a suitable skincare product via the skin conditions category on the main page of the platform.

Your decision counts. Act now!

Sources:

(1) Wang A, Abrahamsson D, Jiang T, et al. Suspect Screening, Prioritisation, and Confirmation of Environmental Chemicals in Maternal-Newborn Pairs from San Francisco. Environ Sci Technol. 2021;55(8):5113-5124. doi:10.1021/acs.est.0c05984

(2) Cabernard L, Pfister S, Oberschelp C, et al. Growing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion. Nat Sustain. 2022;5(2):139-148. doi:10.1038/s41893-021-00807-2

(3) Gaspar L, Bartman S, Coppotelli G, Ross J. Acute Exposure to Microplastics Induced Changes in Behaviour and Inflammation in Young and Old Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(15):12308. doi:10.3390/ijms241512308

(4) Marfella R, Prattichizzo F, Sardu C, et al. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(10):900-910. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2309822

(5) Wagner M, Monclús L, Arp HPH, et al. State of the science on plastic chemicals. Identifying and addressing chemicals and polymers of concern. Report No.: 341954. zenodo; 2024. doi:10.5281/zenodo.10701706

(6) Wiesinger H, Wang Z, Hellweg S. Deep Dive into Plastic Monomers, Additives, and Processing Aids. Environ Sci Technol. 2021;55(13):9339-9351. doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c00976