FeelGood is committed to doing our part to ensure a cleaner and more beautiful planet exists for all of us to enjoy. Our company is made up of active outdoor enthusiasts; we not only enjoy a clean and vibrant natural environment, but we are committed to helping out where we can to make sure it stays that way. As a major source of contamination in our precious oceans, as well as having potentially harmful health effects, microplastics are something we have identified that we can have an impact in reducing.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics - synthetic particles smaller than 5 millimeters that come off of plastic as it degrades - are small bits of plastic materials that can be found everywhere in the world. We come in constant contact with them in our everyday lives: on the clothes we wear, the containers we get our food in, the surfaces we touch, the rain that falls from the sky. Simply put, you can not escape them and so it is good to understand what they are.
Microplastics have been increasingly recognized as a significant environmental and health concern. Their impact on the body is a growing area of research, and studies have suggested that exposure to microplastics can lead to inflammation, affect the immune system, and contribute to various diseases.
Studies in animals indicate that microplastics can cause DNA damage and changes to gene activity, which can be a cause of some cancers. There have been studies in mice that link microplastics to lower sperm count and other negative reproductive side effects. There are also studies that show marine organisms are more prone to eating plastics in the ocean than more nutritious alternatives, which has negative effects on the entire balance of ocean life.
It is hard, given their small size and our saturated exposure to microplastics to directly trace diseases or negative health effects specifically to them, but the consensus is they are having a negative effect. Exposure to plastics in general means exposure to BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals, all thought to cause disruption to our nervous and reproductive systems, among others. Having these elements in our bodies on a molecular level is surely not a good thing, and the problem of trash (especially plastics) in the ocean is a growing problem that effects us all. We believe having less microplastics in the world is a worthwhile goal.
What is FeelGood Doing about this problem?
As a leading manufacturer of supplement products that support a healthy lifestyle, FeelGood produces products that fill over 10 million bottles per year - sold in Costco stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com. Given the large scale environmental impact of our business, FeelGood Superfoods® is proud to partner with BioBottles as the main supplier for our packaging. BioBottles and Caps are unique in the market as they don’t leave microplastics behind and are 100% biodegradable! This partnership will make a great impact on the environment, creating cleaner oceans and keeping our customers healthier. All of those outcomes make us FeelGood.
How does this relate to the FeelGood Lifestyle®?
Living a FeelGood Lifestyle® is not only about physical health but also environmental well-being. By reducing our creation of bottles in the marketplace that release microplastics, we are doubling down on our commitment to this FeelGood Lifestyle. Reducing exposure to microplastics aligns with our efforts to help our customers lead cleaner, more sustainable lives. It also aligns with our belief that each of us FeelGood when we enjoy a clean, healthy world to raise our kids in and enjoy with our families.
Additional Information can be found at:
https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere