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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Legal ban of microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products

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Non-governmental organization (NGO)
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#OceanAction43552
    Description
    Description
    In November 2018, Ocean. Now! started it's first campaign, Microplastics in Cosmetics and Cleaning Products which represents our voluntary commitment for SDG14 within the area of Marine Pollution (14.1). The objective of this voluntary commitment is a public announcement of the German Minister of Environment regarding two aspects: Germany will introduce a ban for Microplastics in Cosmetics and Cleaning Products, Germany will review the definition of Microplastics because currently, polymers in different form and shape as for example gel-, paste-like or liquid are also potentially harmful but have been ignored so far.
    The methodology we use is a 1) petition and political action and 2) an art-driven interactive project called "In Your Face Petition: Our petition has gathered 120.000 signatures (status June 20th 2020) and has been supported by 12 partners (see partners section), alongside an open letter to the minister. We handed over 90.000 signatures to the minister Svenja Schulze in June 2019 already and had a fruitful discussion with her, also about how Germany will contribute to the EU legislation on the same legal ban (via ECHA). In September 2019, Ocean. Now! contributed to an open consultation of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), allowing European stakeholders to comment on the document which provides the basis for European legal ban of microplastics. ECHA is more progressive than German politics. In December 2019, Ocean. Now! realised an interactive media project called Kamera, Licht, Action! and received selfie-videos from 90.000 people who signed the petition, each recording one of the 15 comments / questions Ocean. Now! asks the Ministry of the Environment. The list of comments / questions was also sent to the Ministry of the Environment to give them a chance to reply. In January 2020, a follow-up was sent with the video. Parallel, we maximised the petition itself via emphasizing its need with new studies on the harmful effects of microplastics.
    2) In Your Face: In Your Face is a media-driven collective project in collaboration with the Hamburg artist Swaantje Güntzel with participants from around the world. Over a period of 5 months, ocean lovers collected microplastic samples that are now shown symbolically in the shape of a beauty mask on known faces. The bloody nose stands for the destructive character of microplastics. Our collective wave of resistance aims at sending a clear message: Its time to finally ban microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products. Its time for us humans to look ourselves in the eye. This project generated a remarkable media wave. We continue following up with the Minister of the Environment, maintaining the dialogue. The most recent answer we received was on June 4th 2020. As it seems like Germany is still not looking into introducing a ban on a national level - even though seven other European countries already have done so (status June 2020) - we will maintain our action and keep on building pressure in 2020.
    Partners
    German Ministry of the Environment (Government), i+m (Private Sector), Codecheck (Private Sector), und Gretel (Private Sector), Annemarie Barlind (Private Sector), Planet Pure (Private Sector), Coscoon Cosmetics (Private Sector), Sonett (Private Sector), CleanClean / Unwaste.org (Private Sector), Plasticontrol (Non-governmental organisation), Whale and Dolphin Conservation (Non-governmental organisation), Beat the Microbead (Non-governmental organisation)

    Goal 15

    Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

    Goal 15

    15.1

    By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

    15.1.1
    Forest area as a proportion of total land area
    15.1.2
    Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type

    15.2

    By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

    15.2.1
    Progress towards sustainable forest management

    15.3

    By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

    15.3.1
    Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area

    15.4

    By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

    15.4.1
    Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity
    15.4.2
    Mountain Green Cover Index

    15.5

    Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

    15.5.1
    Red List Index

    15.6

    Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed

    15.6.1
    Number of countries that have adopted legislative, administrative and policy frameworks to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits

    15.7

    Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products

    15.7.1
    Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked

    15.8

    By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species

    15.8.1
    Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species

    15.9

    By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

    15.9.1

    (a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

    15.a

    Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

    15.a.1

    (a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

    15.b

    Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation

    15.b.1

    (a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

    15.c

    Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

    15.c.1
    Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked

    Goal 12

    Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

    Goal 12

    12.1

    Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

    12.1.1

    Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production

    12.2

    By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

    12.2.1

    Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

    12.2.2

    Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

    12.3

    By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

    12.3.1

    (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index

    12.4

    By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

    12.4.1
    Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement
    12.4.2

    (a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment

    12.5

    By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

    12.5.1

    National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

    12.6

    Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

    12.6.1
    Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

    12.7

    Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

    12.7.1

    Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans

    12.8

    By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

    12.8.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    12.a

    Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

    12.a.1

    Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)

    12.b

    Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

    12.b.1

    Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability

    12.c

    Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

    12.c.1

    Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP

    Goal 14

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

    Goal 14

    14.1

    By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

    14.1.1

    (a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density

    14.2

    By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

    14.2.1

    Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas

    14.3

    Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

    14.3.1
    Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

    14.4

    By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

    14.4.1
    Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

    14.5

    By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

    14.5.1
    Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

    14.6

    By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

    14.6.1

    Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

    14.7

    By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

    14.7.1

    Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries

    14.a

    Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

    14.a.1
    Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

    14.b

    Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

    14.b.1

    Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries

    14.c

    Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"

    14.c.1

    Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

    Name Description
    14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
    Public announcement by the German Minister of the Environment to introduce a legal ban of microplastics in cosmetics
    Financing (in USD)
    7000
    Staff / Technical expertise
    International team of 25 volunteers driving campaign forward
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    Action Network
    Ocean conference wheel logo
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    Timeline
    01 January 1970 (start date)
    01 January 1970 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Ocean. Now!
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    Berlin
    Other beneficiaries
    European countries - (due to target of European legislation also)
    Ocean Basins
    Global
    Communities of Ocean Action
    Marine pollution
    Countries
    N/A
    Contact Information

    Meike Schützek, Ms