Global Glitter Ban

Glitter has always been the nemesis of custodians and janitors the world over. Now, it seems, not only is glitter a nuisance due to the impossibility of removing it completely from carpets and other surfaces, it seems that scientists are concerened about the affects of glitter on the environment.  The followiing is an article published by Fox News regarding this concern.

Environmental scientists have urged glitter to be banned worldwide due to the damage the art supplies does to the environment.

Glitter, which is commonly used in arts and crafts, is comprised of small plastic particles. Scientists argue the particles get into the ocean and the environment where animals eat it, CBS Philly reported.

Professor Richard Thompson did a study and discovered a third of fish caught in the United Kingdom contained plastic particles.

“I was quite concerned when somebody bought my daughters some shower gel that had glitter particles in it,” Thompson told The Independent.  “That stuff is going to escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment.”

Dr. Trisia Farrelly, a scientist at New Zealand’s Massey University, said glitter should be banned because it was a microplastic.

Microplastics, or small pieces of plastic, have been known to pollute ocean, including the Great Lakes, the National Ocean Service reported. The microplastics come from many places, but microbeads, a tiny piece of plastic that were common in beauty products, were the biggest culprit. The small particles easily get into water filtration systems where they wind up in oceans and lakes.

The BBC reported that some British nurseries have banned using glitter in its establishments due to the “terrible damage” the arts supplies does to the environment. Some states in the U.S. have banned using microbeads in beauty and health products.