Description
A free mobile app that allows users to scan cosmetic products for hidden microplastics, find plastic-free alternatives recommended by trusted brands, and track their personal impact toward a cleaner future. It replaces the older Beat the Microbead and My Little Plastic Footprint apps, combining their best features into one updated experience.
Market positioning
Leading nonprofit-backed mobile app for microplastic detection in cosmetic products, with strong brand recognition through the Beat the Microbead campaign and UN Environment Programme sponsorship. Positioned as a trusted, mission-driven tool rather than a commercial product, giving it high credibility among eco-conscious consumers and advocacy communities.
Target audience
Health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers worldwide who want to avoid microplastics in cosmetic and personal care products and adopt a plastic-free lifestyle.
Use cases
Consumers use the app to scan barcodes on cosmetic and personal care products to instantly identify hidden microplastic ingredients, discover plastic-free certified alternatives, and track their cumulative personal impact toward reducing plastic pollution. It serves as both a shopping companion and an environmental awareness tool.
Company information
Company size
Small nonprofit, estimated 10–50 employees
Revenue
Nonprofit; grant and donation funded, estimated <$5M annual budget
Scale
Global
Number of users
500,000+ downloads globally (estimated, based on combined legacy app user base of Beat the Microbead and My Little Plastic Footprint)
Features
Pricing
Rating
No Trustpilot link available
Pros and cons
Based on: (AI summary)
Pros
- Free to download and use
- Backed by a reputable nonprofit (Plastic Soup Foundation) and sponsored by UNEP
- Combines two established apps into one improved experience
- Focuses specifically on microplastics in cosmetics
- Offers plastic-free alternative recommendations
Cons
- Primarily focused on cosmetic products, not broader environmental microplastic exposure
- Relies on donations for sustainability and feature development
- Does not appear to cover microplastics in food, water, or air
- No mention of personalized health risk analysis or exposure quantification
- Limited to product scanning; lacks broader lifestyle impact analysis
Feature Comparison
Top features across 13 competitors (most common first)
| Feature | PlasticFree… | Microplasti… | Microplasti… | Microplasti… | Thermo Fish… | I'm Plastic… | SPOT-MP | Bruker Micr… | Renishaw Ra… | Agilent Mic… | PerkinElmer… | Shimadzu Mi… | Polycheck -… |
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| soil | |||||||||||||
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| Environmental contaminant analysis | |||||||||||||
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| Automated data evaluation | |||||||||||||
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| microplastic characterization | |||||||||||||
| Plastic-free alternative product recommendations | |||||||||||||
| Personal impact tracking | |||||||||||||
| Product database with microplastic information | |||||||||||||
| Global English-language support |