The scientists have spoken, and they have spoken the truth: glitter should be banned. This seemingly harmless and innocent craft material has been used for decades in many a school project, but now it’s time for us to bid it adieu.
Because most glitter are less than 5 millimeters in length, it falls under the category of microplastic – a kind of plastic that can easily pass through most filtration systems and end up in oceans.
And once they get there, they get eaten up by smaller ocean creatures who mistake it for food. Research has also shown that even plankton have been zeroing in on glitter, thinking that it was a form of sustenance. The primary danger to this is the hazardous effect that glitter will have on the sea creatures that consume it, whether knowingly or unknowingly. It will result in shortened and compromised life spans for these water dweller, but the danger doesn’t stop there! If this continues, at some point we will be regularly consuming seafood that already has significant presence of these microplastics in them. From craft projects to the ocean, to sea creatures and to our internal systems, glitter (and karma) surely has a way of getting back to us.
There isn’t anything else to do except completely stop our use of glitter and help support these scientists who are pushing for its ban. Glitter isn’t only found in craft projects: they have now made their way into topical products that we readily slather on ourselves. It is not surprising to find glitter in body lotions, lipsticks, nail polish, hair gels, and other hair and body products.
Does our personal vanity and penchant for the artsy should be at the expense of our water wildlife? We think not. There are other alternatives to satisfy our need to “care” for ourselves and express our artistic sensibilities – all without making the environment suffer.
Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/glitter-ban-environment-microbead-impact-microplastics-scientists-warning-deep-ocean-a8056196.html
https://www.inverse.com/article/38893-scientists-ban-glitter
https://www.livescience.com/61060-global-glitter-ban.html