What is Microplastic and How Does It Affect the Ecosystem?
Microplastics are microscopic plastic particles that are broken down into small pieces through various processes and are generally used in cosmetic products. Even the smallest plastic waste we leave in nature breaks down and turns into microplastic particles after a certain period of time. The particles that crumble and turn into smaller particles can easily mix into natural water sources and wastewater. This can be dangerous for the health of larger creatures and our environment.
No matter where we look, we can come across microplastics in every area of our lives. From cosmetic products to the clothes we wear, the bags we use for shopping, shampoos, medical drugs and even some foods. These particles that we cannot see with the naked eye are in almost all the products we use and leave microplastic waste in the environment. Unfortunately, Turkey is one of the leading plastic producing countries. Despite this intense consumption, serious measures are not taken against the controlled consumption of plastic as a society. As a brand, we are aware of the importance of products in the cosmetics sector, which we are especially involved in, having microplastic-free formulations and we are taking care to develop our work in this direction. So if you ask what the negative effects of these microplastics used in cosmetics are on the ecosystem and human health, let us explain it for you.
Effects of Microplastic Use in Cosmetic Products
1) Environmental Impacts
Microplastics cause environmental pollution and damage to ecosystems. Due to their microscopic size, they spread to water systems, seas and oceans and affect aquatic life. Aquatic creatures that mistake microplastics for food and eat them can be poisoned or become trapped in these particles. This creates negative effects throughout the food chain and eventually affects human health. The toxins coming from these substances can penetrate the entire body of living things. Thus, the probability of living things that feed on fish, including humans, to ingest toxins increases.
2)Health Risks
While research on the effects of microplastics on human health continues, allergic reactions and long-term health problems have been observed in some of them.
3) Protection of Natural Resources
Microplastics are a byproduct of petroleum-based plastics. Therefore, choosing microplastic-free helps preserve natural resources. Using microplastic-free cosmetics reduces petroleum consumption and alleviates the problem of plastic waste.
4)Existence of Alternatives
With microplastic-free cosmetic products becoming increasingly common, various brands and manufacturers are developing alternatives to meet this demand. Products with natural, biodegradable or organic ingredients are available. These products offer an environmentally friendly and sustainable option. As a result, microplastic-free choices support environmental sustainability, protect natural resources, reduce health risks and prevent environmental pollution. Therefore, it is important to choose microplastic-free cosmetic products.
What Do We Do?
Since the first day of our establishment, we have been developing our work with a sustainable approach for a better world. We want to leave a more livable world to future generations and in this context, we take care to establish partnerships for purposes and develop projects under different sustainable development goals while reducing our carbon footprint with our waste innovations.
With our box innovations, upcycle project and flap labels, we encourage our users to produce and consume responsibly. In line with waste reduction, we share our product guidance through box designs instead of brochures, and we only use FSC certified papers obtained from industrial trees in order to prevent deforestation in box production.
In order to protect our ecosystem threatened by microplastics, we not only take internal action but also take care to develop our network of influence. In our journey towards this goal, we took our first step to include local businesses in our network of influence with the Plastic Free Festival we held in Gökçeada on June 17.
It is in our hands to leave a sustainable future for future generations. So what are you doing for a sustainable world?
