Why We Support The Plastic Soup Foundation

Ruben Peters
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Plastic Soup Foundation

UPDATE! We’re supporting the Plastic Soup Foundation.

That’s right, after two years of donating 10% of profits to The Ocean Cleanup we’ve decided to give our support to another environmental organisation. We’re happy to announce that, from now on, we’ll be donating 10% of FLASKE profits to the Plastic Soup Foundation.

Want to know more about our new partner? Keep reading!

Who are the Plastic Soup Foundation?  

The Plastic Soup Foundation is a single-issue environmental organisation that’s based in Amsterdam. The mission is clear; no plastic in our water or our bodies. The Plastic Soup Foundation aims to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean and tackle it at its source. The organisation was founded in February 2011 by Maria Westerbos and its mission stretches across oceans, as far as the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. 

Mission & Vision

  • Prevent plastic waste from polluting the environment.
  • Raise awareness of health risks associated with plastics and microplastics in foods and drinks.
  • Reduce the production of plastic globally.

What is the Plastic Soup?

To understand the Plastic Soup Foundation, we first need to understand what is the plastic soup. 

When we talk about sea pollution caused by plastic, the floating islands of empty cartons, plastic bags, straws, and single-use bottles, it’s easy to forget about what’s happening under the surface. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as it’s commonly called, is more like a plastic soup than a floating island. That’s because less than 1% of plastics will float on the ocean’s surface. The majority of plastics are denser and will, therefore, sink to the ocean floor or float deeper, in water columns below the surface. Additionally, plastics exposed to UV light in the ocean break down into small fragments, often less than 1 cm in size.

In short, plastic soup refers to all the plastic in the ocean. Above the surface, below the surface, and on the sea bed. The term includes plastic bottles, bags, and whole items, as well as micro and nano plastic particles.

How does the Plastic Soup Foundation help the environment?

The Plastic Soup Foundation runs several environmental awareness campaigns that primarily raise awareness of environmental issues caused by plastics. The campaigns are aimed at consumers, businesses, and manufacturers.

One example is ‘Beat the Microbead’, a campaign that encourages consumers to stop buying cosmetic products that contain microbeads. Microbeads get washed down the drain and into the ocean where they’re impossible to remove. Since the campaign began, microbeads have been banned in some countries, including the Netherlands, UK, USA, New Zealand, and Canada.

Another successful campaign is the ‘Ocean Clean Wash’ which raises awareness of the number of plastic fibres present in clothing and the pollution caused by washing clothes. This campaign targets consumers, who can make green adjustments to laundry habits, as well as clothing and washing machine manufacturers. 

The Plastic Soup Foundation also organises events such as ‘World Cleanup Day’, runs environmental education programmes in the Netherlands and Belgium, and encourages businesses to invest in sustainable programmes such as bottle deposits. 

World Cleanup Day

How does FLASKE support the Plastic Soup Foundation?

The Plastic Soup Foundation is an independent organisation but eco-conscious businesses, like FLASKE, support the organisation with financial donations. These supporting businesses are called Business Angels. FLASKE is proud to be a new Business Angel for the Plastic Soup Foundation. Along with helping consumers replace disposable bottles, mugs, and cups, with reusable stainless steel containers, FLASKE will donate 10% of annual profit to the Plastic Soup Foundation.

How can you support the Plastic Soup Foundation?

According to the Plastic Soup Foundation, three parties are responsible for plastic pollution; 

  • Governments, that could enforce strict regulation on the production and disposal of plastic items.
  • Companies, that could choose to produce plastic-free products and limit plastic usage in the production lines.
  • Consumers, that could minimise plastic pollution by buying responsibly and reducing personal plastic waste.

Read more: The Best Reusable Water Bottle

FLASKE is an eco-conscious company. We aim to help you, the consumer, ditch plastic food and drink containers. Instead, you can buy a reusable stainless steel water bottle, coffee mug, travel tumbler, or insulated food containers from our eco-friendly online store. Meanwhile, companies can cement their eco-friendly ethos by ordering company branded metal bottles from FLASKE. 

Read more: WHY DO PERSONALISED WATER BOTTLES MAKE GREAT GIFTS?

reusable metal bottles

When you buy from FLASKE, you help us to support the Plastic Soup Foundation and its environmental projects.