In a provocative twist on environmental advocacy, global NGO Plastic Change is taking aim at the link between microplastics and declining male fertility. Timed with the UN Global Plastics Treaty talks in Geneva, Switzerland, the campaign — titled Are you packing microplastics? — delivers its message with a blend of humor, shock value, and scientific urgency.
Developed by independent Danish agency Worth Your While in collaboration with creative collective Glue Society, the campaign spoofs Calvin Klein’s iconic black-and-white underwear ads. Instead of the usual brand logo on waistbands, the imagery features bold headlines like “How toxic is your masculinity?” and “4 out of 5 men are packing plastic.” The models’ bulges are subtly replaced with PET plastic bottles — a visual metaphor for the alarming statistic that microplastics have been detected in 80% of penile and testicular tissue samples, as well as 100% of semen samples tested.
The aim is as direct as it is unconventional: pressure predominantly male decision-makers at the Geneva talks to act decisively against new plastic production. By framing microplastics as a threat not only to the planet but also to male reproductive health, Plastic Change seeks to spark engagement among men who might otherwise dismiss environmental causes as “unmanly.”
Research has shown that many men perceive eco-friendly behavior as a challenge to their masculinity, making them less responsive to traditional environmental campaigns. By flipping this narrative, Worth Your While uses hyper-masculine imagery to create an urgent call to action — linking environmental responsibility with the preservation of male fertility.
The campaign will run from August 5 to 14, 2025, featuring billboards in Geneva strategically placed near treaty negotiation venues, as well as OOH displays in Denmark. On digital channels, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, the NGO is encouraging men worldwide to share the message and post their own #PackingPlastic photos. Social amplification will be driven by male influencers, from fitness enthusiasts to podcasters, lending additional reach to the campaign’s confrontational style.
“Environmental campaigns often fail to resonate with men,” said Anne Aittomaki, strategic director at Plastic Change. “If saving the planet doesn’t feel urgent, maybe saving your sex life and ability to reproduce will. This isn’t fearmongering — it’s science.”
With microplastics now found in the most intimate parts of the human body, Are you packing microplastics? aims to make the issue impossible to ignore — especially for those in positions to shape global plastic policy.
