Here are eco-friendly alternatives to make your parties shine

No glamor at Christmas. This is the decision that many schools in the UK have made to educate children about environmental conservation. In fact, the “classic” chips are made of microplastics that pollute the oceans. The good news? There are greener alternatives.

In décor, make-up, or in clothes… Sequins put the stars in our eyes. But the flip side of the coin is that it is made up of microplastic particles (less than 5 millimeters in diameter) that are not biodegradable. Its microscopic size passes through the filters of sewage treatment plants and the flakes flow in waves in the seas and oceans.

So sequins are added to the Long list of plastic particles, which would represent 85% of the more than 8 million tons dumped each year in the oceans. If there isn’t an exact number to quantify the microplastics from the glitter that ends up in the oceans, these ephemeral and colorful accessories should be a subject of awareness, or even a ban, according to the anthropologist. Tricia Farrelly, who fired a countryside on this in 2017.

By that time, British schools had already ruled: nineteen British kindergartens removed the sparkle from their Christmas creative workshops. The goal is to make the general public aware that some everyday products contribute to marine water pollution.

What are the environmental alternatives?

If you still want your Christmas table to shine brightly and you haven’t finished the purchases yet, know that there are alternatives. Several labels have embarked on the design of biodegradable chips, such as the English brand Bioglitter, which has reached about a dozen European countries (including France). Launched in 2010, the company designs its vegan gloss that takes nearly 100 days to dissolve. another british brand, Echo glitter art, offers chips made of compostable film.