Skincare Brand Naïf Fills Old Sunscreen Bottles with a Sustainable Alternative

Did you know that 9 out of 10 sunscreen products contain microplastics?

That's the reason why Fitzroy offered beachgoers at Castricum Beach a more sustainable alternative. Last week the agency - in partnership with Naïf - gave people the opportunity to refill their empty sunscreen bottle (of any brand) with Naïf sunscreen: free of any microplastics and with a mineral filter. Better for the skin and without harmful chemicals for the ocean. But also better for the planet: because old plastic packages were given a second life. Refilled, rebranded and reused.

Last week, at the stall at Club Zand (Castricum Beach), people were able to hand in their empty sunscreen bottles, to be refilled with Naïf sunscreen, free of charge. The bottle was then 'rebranded' with a Naïf label, made of biodegradable seaweed paper. This way, old plastic bottles were given a second life and beachgoers could try out a sustainable alternative. Mischa Schreuder, Creative Partner at Fitzroy explains that the campaign was a great success: "We made a lot of people happy. In a fun way we were able to inform consumers that microplastics are harmful to the ocean and that there is a good alternative." All Naïf sunscreens are free of microplastics and contain a mineral filter. In contrast to a chemical filter, this does not contain chemicals that are harmful to the ocean and coral, such as oxybenzone. 

"We want to change the world of personal care," explains Jochem Hes, founder of Naïf. "That means we want to prove that things can and must be done better. This initiative, which we set up with our creative agency Fitzroy Amsterdam, does exactly that." Hes founded Naïf in 2013 together with Sjoerd Trompetter when they both became fathers and saw the amount of rubbish in baby products. Since then, their product range has expanded further to include a skin care line for adults and sunscreen. "We realised there weren't any good, safe and sustainable sun care products without microplastics and with a mineral filter. And so we started making that."

“Is it naive to think that you can enjoy a day at the beach and in the ocean and at the same time minimise your impact on the environment? We don't think so. Our products and this campaign demonstrate just that.”