NIVEA’s new campaign, #CutbackOnPlasticPollution, challenges our behaviours towards plastic consumption and launched on World Oceans Day on 8th June 2022.
Heading up this campaign is Lucy Campbell, who joins NIVEA as the brand’s new sustainability ambassador for the UK.
NIVEA’s newly launched Little Steps hub provides simple and low-cost tips to help people reduce, reuse and recycle plastic in the bathroom. Along with Beiersdorf (NIVEA’’s parent company), NIVEA has committed to an ambitious “Plastic Pledge,” that includes achieving 100% refillable, reusable, or recyclable packaging by 2025.
We have been keeping this project under our hats for nearly a year, and it’s been incredibly difficult to do so. We are so proud to be working towards sustainability becoming the norm within the beauty sector, and to be doing it with one of the World’s leading brands.
It has filled us with such motivation that the work we have started with Lucy and NIVEA is aiming to set a precedent for all companies, beauty focused or not.
Not only that, we got to work with our favourites at Cut Media to produce the stunning and compelling content that is to form the backbone and visual guide of this three year campaign.
NIVEA’s press release follows:
Our oceans cover over 70% of our planet. They provide more than half of the oxygen we breathe and absorb nearly a third of our carbon emissions. Their health is essential to the health of our planet, yet they are being severely impacted by plastic pollution. NIVEA’s new campaign #CutbackOnPlasticPollution envisions the bathroom as a place where we can all start reducing the environmental impact of plastic.
Every year, between 9 and 14 million tonnes of plastics enter our ocean. This pollution is reducing the ocean’s ability to fight the climate crisis and is one of the five main drivers of the biodiversity crisis, threatening 40% of marine mammals with extinction.
These numbers may be intimidating, but efforts to combat them don’t have to be. As society works to cut back on its plastic usage, small changes can, collectively, make a big difference – starting in the bathroom.
Research from NIVEA found that while nearly nine in ten UK households say that they regularly recycle, less than half (49%) of UK adults and less than a third (29%) of young people (18-24) always recycle bathroom products. Over a third of consumers (36%) say they’re not knowledgeable about how to recycle their bathroom products.
Here’s where NIVEA comes in. To cut through the confusion, the brand is providing simple and low-cost tips to promote more sustainable habits in the bathroom, from recycling our bottles properly and switching to plastic-free products, to using refillable containers. If we all take these little steps in our daily lives, they will have a scalable impact.
A master of the cutback manoeuvre in surfing, pro-surfer Lucy Campbell is helping drive NIVEA’s campaign to #CutbackOnPlasticPollution. Currently British Women’s surfing champion, Lucy’s deep love for the oceans comes through in her passion for reducing her own impact on the environment.
In her new role as sustainability ambassador for NIVEA in the UK, Lucy is calling for increased awareness of the damage that plastic is doing to our oceans: “I’m lucky that my job allows me to spend my life in the ocean,” she says.“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 oceans.
“I’m determined to change things, and I’m proud to be part of NIVEA’s #CutbackOnPlasticPollution campaign in my role as NIVEA UK’s sustainability ambassador. Whether the changes made are big or small, I know we can all be pros when it comes to cutting back on plastic pollution. If everyone takes a little step, we’re one step closer to saving our oceans.”
The Marine Conservation Society is also partnering with NIVEA to #CutbackOnPlasticPollution. The UK’s leading charity for the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife, the organisation will be supporting NIVEA’s commitments to reduce its plastic footprint and shift to fully circular resources at the production stage.
Anne Weinhold, Corporate Partnerships Team Lead from the Marine Conservation Society, says: “For nearly 40 years[NH(N1] , the Marine Conservation society has been working to save the oceans through our Clean Seas Programme. Recent data collected from our beach cleans found that 75% of all beach litter collected in the UK was plastic or polystyrene, and while the overall amount of litter in the UK is decreasing, there’s still so much work to do. We are at a critical moment in time and urgent action is needed. We’re excited to have found a like-minded partner in NIVEA and are looking forward to working together to cut back on plastic pollution – starting in the bathroom.”
In July 2022, NIVEA and the Marine Conservation Society will be launching a bathroom recycling challenge as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s Plastic Challenge. You can learn more about how to get involved at nivea.co.uk/sustainability.
NIVEA is passionate about reducing its environmental impact and that of the beauty industry as a whole. Alongside parent company Beiersdorf, the brand’s commitment to CARE BEYOND SKIN signals a responsibility far beyond its core business to help solve the climate crisis and tackle the global plastic problem. Along with Beiersdorf, the brand has committed to a “Plastic Pledge,” which aims to achieve the following by 2025:
- 100% refillable, reusable, or recyclable packaging
- 30% recycled material content in plastic packaging
- Reduce the use of fossil-based virgin plastic by 50%
NIVEA has also launched several products to cut back on plastic. EcoRefill Hand Soap is a refillable product – consumers can mix a tab with water to make liquid soap in a refillable bottle. MagicBAR facial cleansing bars have 99% natural origin ingredients, are vegan and free from plastic.
In 2021, NIVEA also delivered on its commitment to become 100% free of microplastics according to the UNEP definition.
Sophie Rock, Marketing Manager at NIVEA says: “As the UK’s number one skincare brand, NIVEA recognises it has a big responsibility to minimise its environmental impact. Although everyone has their part to play in protecting the health of our oceans and the planet as a whole, brands and businesses need to take the lead in driving change.
“That is why we’re launching our campaign to #CutbackOnPlasticPollution and taking action to reduce our own plastic footprint. We’re delighted to be working with Lucy Campbell and the Marine Conservation Society, two partners who share our passion for making a difference. Through our Little Steps hub, we’re providing lots of easy, simple and low-cost tips to help people reduce, reuse and recycle plastic in the bathroom. 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.”
Sometimes, little steps are all that’s needed to start changing the world. Why not commit to adopting a practice from NIVEA’s Little Steps hub today and join the campaign to #CutbackOnPlasticPollution?
See if you can spot any of the Rocket Sports team members lurking in the background shrouded in puffer jackets!