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Marine-friendly sunscreens to protect our seas

Green People is proud to be in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, the UK charity for the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife. To help raise awareness of the work that The Marine Conservation Society

By Hannah Mepham

5 Minute read

Green People is proud to be in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, the UK charity for the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife.

To help raise awareness of the work that The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) do, Green People donates 20p from the sale of every marine-friendly Scent Free SPF30 Sun Cream to this worthy cause.

Who are the Marine Conservation Society?

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is a UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife.

MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and the protection of marine life. MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and inspires individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment.

Your sun cream shopping has generated a huge volume of donations for MCS - over £150,000! It costs 30p to pick up one item of litter and with Green People’s financial support, the MCS has been able to remove more than a quarter of a million pieces of rubbish from UK beaches.

Marine Conservation Society

 

Speaking of Green People's partnership, Anne Weinhold, Corporate Partnerships Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, stated:

“Green People have supported our work over many years. Their contributions and the positive impact they are making through their own business practices showcase their genuine commitment for a healthier ocean, and a healthier planet. We’re delighted to continue and grow our partnership for many years to come.”

Some sunscreen chemicals dramatically affect aquatic life

Alongside this donation Green People continues to avoid the use of chemicals that have been found to cause harm to the marine environment even at very low levels.

MCS explain that, "As people become more aware of the damage the sun can do to unprotected skin more and more of us are buying sunscreens to ensure a safe tan. However we rarely consider the problems the lotions can do when they come into contact with marine wildlife and habitats”.

Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, says, “It is estimated that 10,000 tons of UV filters are produced annually. On average about 25% of the sunscreen ingredients applied to skin are released in the water over the course of a 20 min submersion.

" Gender-bending chemicals that mimic the effect of oestrogen are common in sunscreens and can have a dramatic effect on aquatic life, for example turning fish into hermaphrodites. "

"Certain sunscreens promote viral infections in coral reefs, potentially playing an important role in coral bleaching in areas with low water renewal where many tourists visit."

Certified organic sunscreen ingredients help protect aquatic life

A 2022 organic beauty report published by The Soil Association explained how using organically farmed ingredients can help marine life.

Their report explained that nitrogen fertilisers used in non-organic farms can enter seas and create areas where marine life cannot flourish.

The Soil Association also reported that organic soil stores significantly more carbon than non-organic farms. By storing more carbon, organic farms help prevent C02 from entering the ocean and causing harm to marine life.

Green People uses a high percentage of organic ingredients in its sun care products, with more than 80% of the ingredients used in our body sunscreens being from certified organic sources. 

The Green People Team: actively supporting the MCS

Inspired by our partnership with the Marine Conservation Society and to support the use of marine-friendly sunscreens, the team at Green People took part in a beach clean-up at Worthing Beach in West Sussex in association with MCS.

beach clean

As stated by MCS, “Some of our best-loved marine wildlife is under threat from the waste and litter in our seas, with hundreds of species accidentally eating or becoming entangled in litter. Litter on our beaches is also hazardous to people so we all have a part to play in turning the tide on litter.”

The Green People team of twenty people managed to pick up a mighty 31kg of rubbish from the area of beach MCS were cleaning up and surveying.

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