We are ecstatic to see the response of people towards our app in the past couple of days. Within a few days, the number of downloads shot up from 180,000 downloads to 276,743, with 656,200 new products being scanned within a week. The users of the app sent us over 70.000 products. We can not be happier!
But we need your help to make the app better and get more hands to process all the product information that people sent us. Please consider donating to our crowdfunding campaign!
On Thursday 22nd October, the topic of microplastics in cosmetics was explored in the popular Dutch consumer TV program: Keuringsdienst van Waarde! This was also repeated in the episode of another popular Dutch program: Jinek on Monday 27 October.
One of the presenters of the show, Teun van de Keuken, confronted the Dutch Cosmetics Association on the basis of our research with the question: why are producers not more transparent about the use of plastic in care products?
Everyone should be able to decide for themselves!
Surely as a consumer, you should be able to choose for yourself whether you want a product with or without plastic? To make that choice, you need ‘a chemistry diploma and a microscope,’ that much was clear from the recent investigations of Keuringdienst van Waarde.
Teun then pointed to the free app Beat the Microbead from ‘the brilliant minds of Plastic Soup Foundation’ (we were blushing a bit), which allows everyone to scan their products and immediately see if and which microplastics are detected.
Already a success
Plastic Soup Foundation has been campaigning against microplastics in cosmetics for nine years, and we have already succeeded in removing microbeads from toothpaste and scrubs. Now it’s time to tackle the bigger problem: we want to stop the use of ALL plastics in personal care products.
Our Beat the Microbead app has already been a great success, but since the broadcast of the Keuringsdienst van Waarde and Jinek, we’ve been overwhelmed with new users. Already 440.000 products have been scanned! Of these, 53.000 products are still in the queue to be screened and approved.
Why we desperately need your help:
With such attention comes work and responsibility to transform such a public interest into an action that can help us further our fight against microplastics. As a non-profit organisation, we are constantly depending on donations and that’s why we ask your help again. Please support our CROWDFUNDING, your donations will help us:
- To keep the app free for everyone
- To check all products and add them one by one to our database (with every euro you donate we will be able to add 2 products in our database!)
- To beat the industry with all that information gathered
- To convince politicians
- To make the app even more user-friendly.
We are convinced that your contributions along with our work will bring a positive shift in the beauty industry which is healthier for ourselves and our planet. So please donate now and help us in the fight against microplastics in cosmetics! #Nomoreplastic
You might also like:
→ Sign this petition and ask the EU to ban microplastics in cosmetics
→ Up to 1.5 MILLION plastic particles in your anti-wrinkle cream
→ Eighty Percent Of Consumers Are Worried About Plastic In Cosmetics And 70% Want A Ban