Words by Leah Holmes
More than three million tonnes of microplastics find their way into our environment every single year and will take 50-600 years to degrade completely. That's not just litter, it's pollution we can't see, showing up in the soil, the sea, and even the air we breathe.
Microplastic are tiny fragments from everyday plastics, such as food packaging, synthetic fabrics, or discarded cosmetic containers. They might be small, but microplastics are causing big problems. In fact, recent research has shown they can interfere with one of nature's most vital processes: photosynthesis. Which is now affecting how plants and algae create oxygen and support entire ecosystems.
At Dindi Naturals, this is the kind of harm we work to avoid, not just through our ingredients, but in the way we package, produce, and think. We began with a desire to tread lightly on the earth. As such, learning more about the long-term effects of plastic pollution only depends our commitment to doing things differently.
So where do these particles come from, and how did they become so deeply embedded in our environment?
Tracing the Journey of Microplastics - From Everday Use to Environmental Threat
The problem begins long before these particles end up in out oceans or soils.
Microplastics are created through the slow breakdown of larger plastic items, such as shopping bags, food wrappers, synthetic fabrics, cosmetic containers and even car tyres.
As these materials wear down through weather, friction, or time, they shed tiny fragments that persist in the environment for decades, if not centuries.
In some cases, microplastics are designed that way from the start, such as microbeads in personal care products (thankfully now banned in many countries), or plastic fibres shed from polyester clothing every time we wash them. What makes microplastics especially concerning is how easily they move.
They're carried by wind, washed into waterways, embedded in soil, and even found in raindrops. They accumulate in places in which no plastic should exist: inside marine animals, in the deepest ocean trenches and in agricultural fields where our food is grown.
Tackling the microplastic problem isn't just about recycling more or using fewer straws. It's about rethinking the materials we use everyday and the systems in which those materials are created, consumed and discarded.
Microplastics and Photosynthesis: What Science Tells Us
Recent research published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), offers a global picture of how microplastic pollution is quietly disrupting photosynthesis, the process that allows plans and algae to create oxygen and grow.
Analysing over 3,200 data points, scientists found that microplastics reduce photosynthesis by 7 to 12% leading to an annual loss of 360 million metric tonnes of crops and millions more in seafood production.
This means that microplastics don't just pollute, they're threatening food security worldwide. Plants and algae form the base of most food chains, and when their ability to photosynthesise is impaired, the effects ripple throughout entire ecosystems.
Encouragingly, the study estimates that cutting microplastic pollution by about 13% could prevent tens of millions of metric tonnes of these losses each year, showing that change is possible and necessary.
Why This Matters at Dindi Naturals
“Dindi Naturals was born from a deep frustration with the waste I saw in everyday skincare products. I wanted to create a brand that not only nourished the skin but also respected the planet. Choosing recyclable and biodegradable packaging wasn’t just a business decision - it was a personal commitment to ensure our products leave as little trace on the earth as possible.” - Pip Guyatt Founder of Dindi Naturals
Sustainability is at the heart of everything here at Dindi Naturals. It means making careful choices from ingredients we use to our packaging, and respecting the environment we live in.
After years of relentless trials, we are now happy to say our plastic bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled material (excluding caps and pumps). And our plastic tubes and lids contain 30% post-consumer recycled plastic. These materials are recyclable and landfill biodegradable, meaning that when placed in microbial environment like landfill, an additive attracts microbes that break down the plastic completely within 6 to 10 years.
Dindi Naturals also provides refill options available in our Yarck and Mornington stores, encouraging customers to reuse their containers and significantly cut down on single-use packaging waste. This initiative is an important part of how we aim to make sustainable choices easier and more accessible. Beyond packaging, we are dedicated to sourcing natural ingredients responsibly. Ensuring that our products nurture not only your skin but also the environment.
Together, these steps are part of a wider plastic-free movement aimed at reducing plastic's impact and protecting a natural balance we all depend on. Real change isn't always easy or immediate, but small, consistent actions: every refill, every choice to avoid single-use plastics, every responsibly sourced ingredient, adds up to a healthier planet for everyone.
By choosing products that care for your skin and the environment, you're joining a movement working toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Leave a comment