In Your Face

protagonists

beaches

exhibitions

mio. pairs of Eyes

EU ban

In November 2018, Ocean. Now! launched its first initiative, “Microplastics in Cosmetics and Cleaning Products.” It consisted of the art project “IN YOUR FACE,” supported by renowned artist Swaantje Güntzel with her artwork Microplastics II, and an open letter to the then Minister of the Environment, Svenja Schulze.
Our demands:

Ban microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products now.
Adjust the definition of microplastics to include polymers in ‘non-solid’ forms, such as gel, paste, or liquid, which have been excluded so far but are also potentially harmful.

The initiative was based on the media-based collective project “IN YOUR FACE” with participants from all over the world. Over a period of three months, ocean lovers collected microplastic samples that appeared on “familiar faces” — symbolically in the form of a “beauty mask.” The bleeding nose represented the destructive nature of microplastics. Our collective wave of resistance sent a clear message: it is time to finally ban microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products. It is time for us humans to look ourselves in the eye.

about the art project

Our initiative

At selected locations in Berlin — some of political significance — we projected the artwork Microplastics II by Hamburg-based conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel.

to the projections

We replicated the artwork on “familiar faces.” The microplastic samples were sent to us by ocean lovers from beaches around the world.

We showed “IN YOUR FACE” at 11 locations in Germany, Portugal, and Austria.

to the exhibitions

We gained widespread media attention. As a result, we reached more than 15 million pairs of eyes within 18 months.

to the media reports

Our achievements

2019
Our open letter received 128,357 signatures. We presented our petition to Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze.

2020
The results of the “cosmetics dialogue” (agreement between the cosmetics industry and the German government from 2013 to voluntarily remove microplastics from products by 2020) were presented as great progress. According to Cosmetics Europe, 97% of all cosmetics no longer contained microplastics.

2022
The German federal government’s coalition agreement included our campaign goal. It stated that the federal government would advocate for an EU law banning solid and “liquid” microplastics (synthetic polymers). We submitted petition II.

2023
EU BAN ON MICROPLASTICS IN COSMETICS

2024
Ocean. Now! was awarded the WeAct Moves Things Award for the IN YOUR FACE initiative.

A big thank you goes to all our supporters: Campact and our alliance partners, including Sonett, Zero Waste e.V., Era Zero Waste, Clean clean, Unwaste, Planet Pure, Coscoon, Annemarie Börling, and Gretel, i + m, Codecheck, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, Plasticontrol, and Weleda.