Five Things You Need to Know About Mica
Mica is a mineral that’s used in many different products. If you look closely, you can find it in cars, mobile phones, computers and cosmetics, among other things. You’ve probably also come across mica in glittering or shimmering products. The workers mining this mineral – in many cases children – have to work in difficult conditions.
What you need to know about mica and mineral extraction
Mineral
Mica is one of the main components of rocks such as granite. Due to its layered structure, it’s very easy to split.
Countries of origin
It is extracted from the earth in many countries, including India, Madagascar, Brazil and China.
Ingredient in cosmetic products
In cosmetic products, the mineral is listed under “Mica” or “CI 77019” in the ingredients. However, what’s not made clear are the working conditions under which the mineral was mined.
Dismantling and working conditions
Precarious working conditions in the mining of mica: in addition to low wages and a lack of occupational safety, the fact that many children work in mining areas is problematic. Children and adults face health hazards such as heat and dust. In the deep shafts and mines where they toil, accidents are not unusual.
Import
Die Wege, die importierter Glimmer zurücklegt, sind lang: Die Hersteller importieren ihn nicht direkt aus den Ländern, in denen er hergestellt wird. Stattdessen läuft die Lieferkette über Zwischenhändler - manchmal sogar über mehrere von ihnen. Das macht es schwierig, den Weg des Minerals zu verfolgen und gegen Menschenrechtsverletzungen vorzugehen.