Green is the New Black & Dentsu Inc. Singapore release "Plastic Salt," an Earth Day video raising awareness about plastic pollution

Green is the New Black*1 and Dentsu Inc. Singapore released a joint video titled "Plastic Salt" on Earth Day, April 22, focusing on the serious crisis that 90% of the world's salt contains microplastics.

The title "Plastic Salt" is a coined term referring to salt produced from oceans polluted by plastic. Plastic products such as straws and plastic bags, used casually in everyday life, flow into the ocean and dissolve, causing salt to be affected by plastic pollution. The video highlights the fact that this salt is then consumed again in our food. It aims to question people's use of plastic and raise awareness.

They also 3D-printed recycled plastic to create miniature objects such as plastic bottles and straws. They placed these in tabletop salt mills instead of salt and filmed consumers' reactions when the mills were placed on tables at restaurants in Singapore.

Green is the New Black and Dentsu Inc. Singapore agreed on the concept of "#LittleGreenSteps*2, the idea that each person can save the planet for the next generation by making small changes in their daily lives. Earth Day was a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and fight pollution.

Paula Miquelis, co-founder of Green is the New Black, said, "People seem very concerned about plastic pollution at first glance, but there is a contradiction between what they say and what they actually do. Everyone is just acting. If everyone refused plastic in the first place, it would have made a big difference. We need to help raise awareness of this issue as much as possible and educate more people more quickly."

Stephanie Dickson, another co-founder, added, "Every year, 8 million tons of plastic enter the world's oceans, and that number is expected to double in the next decade. By 2050, it is said that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Research by Singapore's Final Straw and Cyan Project indicates Singaporeans use 2.2 million straws daily—enough to circle the nation's coastline over twice. The problem is most people don't connect this to their daily lives. The video 'Plastic Salt' conveys the severity of this issue through a simple yet powerful idea: 'We are eating plastic every day.'"

Chloe Rees, Partnership Director and Social Impact Leader at Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network APAC, concluded with the following comment: "Last year marked the beginning of a long journey for Singapore regarding single-use plastics. We are confident that our actions today will have an impact in the years and decades to come." We want to continue encouraging local and global companies to take #LittleGreenSteps to reduce their dependence on plastic. As a sign of our commitment, we have created this video to raise awareness of microplastics."

To raise awareness about single-use plastics, please share "Plastic Salt" with your community and those around you via the link below.

https://greenisthenewblack.com/plasticsalt/

*1 An environmental business social enterprise that also organizes the Conscious Festival, an event that provides knowledge to improve life and work, mainly in Asia. It also functions as an online platform for people who want to improve their daily lives by improving the way they live, work, consume, and travel. Its goal is to provide the tools, inspiration, and #LittleGreenSteps necessary to promote a better life.
 

※2 A hashtag used in eco-conscious social media posts. "Don't use disposable plastic straws, bags, or cutlery; if they are plastic, use them at least twice." Messages include: "Avoid buying food with excessive plastic packaging and carry a reusable bag," "Use reusable coffee cups and water bottles," "Avoid cosmetics containing microbeads," "Help think of and implement solutions to reduce plastic waste at your company," and "Share this video, 'Plastic Salt,' to raise awareness."

※3 A social enterprise collaborating with cafes and bars in Singapore to reduce plastic waste. It provides reusable straws as an alternative to plastic and donates all profits to coastal cleanup efforts in Southeast Asia.

※4 A social enterprise that provides reusable products as alternatives to plastic items and offers solutions to companies highly concerned about plastic issues.