Nivea UK has partnered with British surfing champion Lucy Campbell for its new #CutbackOnPlasticPollution campaign.
Campbell has been named as the brand's sustainability ambassador to showcase the impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
The #CutbackOnPlasticPollution initiative officially launched in time for World Oceans Day on 8 June.
The day aims to shine a light on the impact human actions have on the ocean.
“I’m lucky that my job allows me to spend my life in the ocean,” said Campbell.
“Every day, I experience this natural resource that is so vital to the survival of our planet. What’s difficult, though, is the visibility of plastic pollution – it’s truly heart-breaking to see the damage it is doing to our ocean.”
Nivea has also partnered with environmental non-profit Marine Conservation Society as part of the marketing push.
Up to 14 million tonnes of plastics enter the ocean every year, said Nivea.
This pollution is reportedly reducing the ocean’s ability to fight the climate crisis and is one of the main drivers of the biodiversity loss, threatening 40% of marine mammals with extinction.
Plastic perplexity
Research from Nivea found that nearly nine in ten UK households say that they regularly recycle, but less than half (49%) of UK adults recycle bathroom products.
This figure drops among young adults, as less than one third (29%) of 24 year olds claim to always recycle toiletries.
More than one third of consumers (36%) also said they do not know how to recycle bathroom products.
Nivea hopes to combat this confusion with its Little Steps hub, which provides simple and low-cost tips to increase sustainable habits in the bathroom.
Recycling bottles and switching to plastic-free products to using refillable containers are some of the suggestions to help people reduce their impact.
“Although everyone has their part to play in protecting the health of our ocean and the planet as a whole, brands and businesses need to take the lead in driving change,” said Alison Sammons, Brand Communications Manager at Nivea.
“As a brand, we’re committed to rethinking the way plastic is produced, used and disposed of and our ambitious sustainability goals mean that we never stop striving for a better world.”
Campbell added: “Whether the changes made are big or small, I know we can all improve when it comes to cutting back on plastic pollution. If everyone takes a little step, we’re one step closer to saving our seas.”
