Beat the Microbead App
You can easily see whether a product contains plastic with the Beat the Microbead app. This app uses state-of-the-art text recognition technology. It scans the ingredients of the products and checks them for microplastics. Also, there is the possibility to know microplastic-free brands certified by them. Products that are completely plastic-free are included in the Zero product list of the Beat the Microbead website and app.
There are tiny pieces of plastic in much personal care and cosmetic products such as sun cream and lipstick. These microplastics are so small that we cannot see them with the naked eye. Through our shower and sinks, they flow into sewage systems, slip through the filters in water treatment plants, and reach our rivers and oceans. Once there, they become a part of the plastic soup. Marine animals mistake these microplastics for food. These particles also end up on our plates because we are part of the food chain.
The Plastic Soup Foundation started the Beat the Microbead campaign in 2012. The goal of this campaign is to prevent the microplastics in our personal care products from entering the environment and our ocean. They encourage producers to remove plastics and microplastics from their products and ask consumers to avoid using products containing microplastics.