5% for 5 Gyres
Fighting plastic pollution
We donate 5% from every retail purchase to help end plastic pollution.
5% for 5 Gyres
For every single dollar Nära makes through our online store, we are committed to donating 5% to 5 Gyres in support of their mission to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution. At Nära we do not believe in using any unnecessary plastics or excessive packaging and hope to support people everywhere in making the switch to low or no plastic products.
When you purchase a Nära product online, 5% of your purchase will go directly to helping support 5 Gyres and the great work they do. You are also helping reduce the amount of plastic waste in the world by switching to Nära sustainable shaving products. Win - win :)
So, who are 5 Gyres?
The 5 Gyres Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation that focuses on reducing the amount of plastic pollution in our environment. They do this by focusing their efforts on primary research, science, education and adventure. In 2012, a 5 Gyres expedition uncovered that plastic microbeads (commonly found in personal care products like toothpaste and exfoliating soaps) were polluting our waterways. That research started a movement, which culminated in President Obama signing the Microbead Free Waters Act in 2015, with the law going into effect in 2018.
How much plastic is in our ocean?
5 Gyres gathered a group of scientists to establish the first Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution, which they published in 2014. They determined that there were 269,000 metric tons and 5.25 trillion particles on the ocean’s surface. The 2017 United Nations Clean Seas Campaign also estimated that there are 51 trillion microplastic particles in the ocean today.
So, what is an ocean gyre exactly?
A gyre is a large-scale system of wind-driven surface currents in the ocean. The gyres referred to in 5 Gyres' name relates to the five main subtropical gyres located in the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans. These Gyres are often the main parts of the oceans where plastic gets trapped for very long periods of time.
Why is there plastic in the gyres?
Plastic accumulates in the five subtropical ocean gyres as a result of diminished winds and currents occurring at latitudes synonymous with continental deserts. Basically, plastic is trapped within these currents for long periods of time, taking at least 10 years to cycle back out, if it doesn’t get eaten by marine animals or sink to the bottom first!