The plastic crisis starts with petroleum-based products, is facilitated by consumer consumption and expands to pollution of the land and water. Plastic never completely goes away, and microplastics are now found in nearly every animal and plant on the planet. The beauty industry is a major contributor to this issue, thanks to excessive plastic packaging for deodorant, makeup, skincare and more, not to mention many of these products can only be used for a short period of time. Meejee, a skincare company that acknowledges the problem, aims to be part of the solution.
Meejee reported, “Within the beauty industry, there have been 76.8 billion units of plastic packaging in 2017 alone and a majority of those units end up in landfills and our oceans, a problem polluting the Earth’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems.”
To counter the issue, the company has designed a facial cleansing massager with a handle made from recycled plastic. The body is made from silicone, a material made from a natural chemical element, silica, found in sand. Silicone is widely seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic, namely because it’s not made from petroleum. In addition, silicone is extremely durable, meaning it offers an impressively long lifespan. That durability keeps it from degrading into microparticles in the same way plastic does. Plus, silicone is gentle and non-abrasive as a skincare material. It’s also antimicrobial, because bacteria and skincare just don’t mix.
Meejee contains an internal battery that can last up to a full year without a recharge. When it is time to power up, the most difficult part might be remembering where you put the USB charger. There are no wasteful replacement brush heads, either, so it might be the last face-cleaning massager you ever need.
Staying true to its commitment “to close the plastic loop and create a sustainable future,” Meejee partnered with PlasticBank, an organization dedicated to reversing the trend of increasing ocean plastic. Each Meejee purchased equates to nearly 100 plastic bottles kept from entering the ocean.
Meejee sets sustainable goals for skincare with less plastic [Inhabitat]