This holiday season, here are some eco-friendly alternatives to glitter

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.

Adds luster to a long list of microplastics

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 flakes add to the long list of microplastics, which account for 85% of the more than 8 million tons dumped into the oceans each year. 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. who launched a campaign on the topic in 2017.

There are alternatives

By that time, British schools had already ruled: nineteen British kindergartens had 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.

If you still want your Christmas table to shine bright 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, Eco Glitter Fun, offers glitter made from compostable film.

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint associated with transportation, you can also turn to French brands like Si, si la paillette or Glitter Paris, which make glitter from renewable vegetable cellulose.