Premiering on 16 March, Netflix’s The Plastic Detox examines everyday exposure to microplastics and associated chemicals, which may be linked to health concerns, including declining fertility and hormonal disruption.
The documentary follows six couples experiencing unexplained fertility challenges as they spend three months attempting to reduce their exposure to plastic-related chemicals in a bid to improve their health and hopefully conceive. It also explores plastic production more broadly across several industries, including fashion designers seeking to remove plastic-based fibres and potentially toxic dyes from their supply chains.
Sparxell, which claims to be the world’s first plant-based, biodegradable colour platform, appears in the documentary.
"Nobody asks what makes a product blue or red. Colour in everyday products, from the food we consume to the clothes we wear, is often taken for granted. But behind every shade is a chemistry that can persist in the environment and accumulate in the body. That invisibility is exactly the problem. We now know microplastics are turning up throughout the human body: in blood, placentas and brain tissue,” explained Dr Benjamin Droguet, founder and CEO at Sparxell.
"The materials used to create colour are part of that story. Nature developed this colour solution over millions of years. That is why, at Sparxell, we have created the world's first 100% plant-based colour platform: colour that is vibrant, high-performing and safe."
Based on the morpho butterfly, which appears as a brilliant blue thanks to the microscopic structure of its wings rather than strong pigmentation, Sparxell manipulates light to offer vibrant colours, without using any plastics.
Its dyes also claim to use 90% less water than conventional methods.
More than 25 pilot schemes are already using the technology, which also raised $5 million in Series A funding earlier this year. Sparxell says it will use the funds to support commercial-scale manufacturing.
Sparxell’s partnership with textile manufacturer Positive Materials has previously launched the world’s first commercially available plant-based structural colour ink and created fashion pieces with designer Patrick McDowell. The collection was unveiled at the Future Fabrics Expo 2025 at Magazine London.
