Glitter is associated with celebrations, cards, and decorations but a growing group of environmental activists are calling on retailers to ban its sale. The reason is that glitter is a microplastic that can be spread into the air or be washed down the drain where due to its small size can wind up in the ocean and harm wildlife. David Innes of the UK campaign group 38 Degrees explained to the Guardian that “Glitter might look lovely but, because it’s plastic, it sticks around long after the sparkle has gone – often in the stomachs of fish and birds.” After retailers Waitrose and Aldi committed to phasing out glitter in their own brands, the pressure has been on in Europe and the UK for other retailers to follow suit.
Some brands are also starting to get on board and have also vowed to eliminate plastic glitter from their products, such as Lush cosmetics. Instead, the brand known for its commitment to sustainability uses synthetic mica made from minerals.
Why This Matters: We use unnecessary plastics in so many facets of our lives that we may not realize. Glitter, while pretty, is not only a pain to clean up but is also completely unnecessary. Much in the way that plastic microbeads were banned in personal care products in the United States, we should have the same conversation about glitter. Especially since there are biodegradable alternatives, we don’t have to forgo sparkle in order to avoid needless microplastic pollution. It’s all about spreading awareness and getting people’s buy-in to stop using glitter. For example, this year in Sydney’s famous Mardi Grad parade, organizers vowed to phase out single-use plastics including glitter and the celebration still managed to be a success.
March 25, 2019 » glitter, microplastics
