Glitter pollutes oceans say scientists
The sparkle of death as we are now discovering that glitter pollutes oceans.
“But it’s so small.”
Who would have thought that something as seemingly innocent as glitter could actually be destroying our oceans and marine life?
Glitter and microbeads fall under the category of microplastics (small plastics), that are less than 5mm in length.
Yes, it’s not just body glitter that’s harmful, but also exfoliating scrubs, toothpaste, soaps and more.
It’s their minute structure (and their plastic nature) that’s the problem. Microbeads pass through water filtration systems without disintegrating (plastic nature) and end up in the bellies of marine life.
This doesn’t just come out of the blue- In 2016, a Scientific Study was conducted titled “Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic particles influence larval fish ecology,” reporting that microplastics are contributing to the decline of fish populations.
G-litter
A study conducted by professor Richard Thompson claims that a third of fish caught in Great Britain contained plastics.
“I was quite concerned when somebody bought my daughters some shower gel that had glitter particles in it,” Thompson said. “That stuff is going to escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment.”
In 2018 Britain will move to completely ban products containing microbeads, and hopefully the rest of the world will follow suit.
Glitter is a huge part of festival culture, and festivalgoers need not fret as biodegradable glitter does exist.
Eco-glitter is made from a certified biodegradable cellulose film, which means that it is safely biodegradable.
If you would like to get some guilt-free sparkles, check out Mirror Moon’s page.
As plastics continue to destroy our earth, now glitter pollutes oceans as well. Sigh.
