Whether it’s a birthday, a crafts project or the average weekend night, these are all good reasons to slap on some glitter, right?
But, although it appears all fun and games- it’s still a microplastic. It’s made from plastic sheets that are shredded into pieces smaller than 5 mm.
When we wash it off down the sink, the glitter goes into sewages and pollutes our waters and the living organisms.
We also end up ingesting it ourselves.
If you ever had glitter to your face, body or hair, you’ve probably seen bits of it on your clothes, bathroom floors or bed sheets.
According to the ECHA’s estimates, up to 60,000 tons of microplastics intentionally added to products pollutes our planet every year.
Unfortunately, plastic can take up to 400 years to dissolve!
The Campaign to Clean Our Oceans from Plastic Glitter
Beat the Microbead is a campaign that hopes to remove glitter from our oceans.
It exists since 2012 with the goal to lower and eventually remove microbeads and microplastics in products, including personal care, cosmetics, and beauty.
They’ve made a list of the common aggressors and their Beat the Microbead’s Zero Plastic Inside certification helps establish the ethos and credentials of a certain company.
Some brands already have this certification, including Lush, Dr. Hauschka, and Neal’s Yard Remedies.
And, the first eco-friendly glitter is here- it’s made by cosmetic manufacturer and supplier Ronald Britton Ltd.
It was launched in 2014 and it’s named Bioglitter.
Two years later, it also received the TUV certification of high biodegrading of glitters.
Today, they have two lines- one is 100 percent biodegradable and the other is 92 percent biodegradable, i.e. the PURE and the SPARKLE.
However, the brand is striving to make the both lines entirely natural.
How Does the Bioglitter Degrade in the Environment?
The time needed for the glitter to degrade is conditioned by several environmental factors, including moisture, heat, and microbe concentration.
The PURE one was found to degrade in 28 days. The founder of Eco Glitter Fun, Sophie Awdry has three important tips on how to choose eco friendly glitter.
First is the shape (eco glitter comes in hexagon shape only), second is the color (there are no iridescent or holographic colors yet), and third is the touch (much softer than regular glitter).
The Eco Glitter packaging is entirely recyclable and their glitter is available in glass bottles and has aluminum caps.
Moreover, 10 percent of their profits are donated to Plastic Oceans.
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