Scientists have confirmed that glitter is not only bad for parents’ sanity, but also the environment.
They are urging Australia to pull the plug on the plastic pollutant and get rid of the shimmering substance for good.
A glitter ban may be the best news I’ve heard all day! Why?
Because I am one of those mums who DESPISES glitter. Whether it’s used for crafts, for makeup or for sticking in your vagina, glitter brings a bus-load of mess to the table.
Glitter be gone!
While I’ve been lying to my kids for years, claiming “stores no longer sell glitter” as I navigate them away from the craft section at Kmart, it turns out, this may be the actual truth.
Scientists have confirmed that glitter is on the no-no list for the environment. Glitter is a microplastic, which can leak into the environment, causing damage to our oceans.
Professor Richard Thompson of Plymouth University states, “There is considerable concern about the accumulation of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics can be ingested by fish and shellfish and there is evidence from laboratory studies of adverse effects on marine organisms.”
Sorry glitter, you’re out.
New Zealand scientist and environmental anthropologist Dr Trisia Farrelly echoes this glitter ban thought.
“All glitter should be banned because it’s microplastic and all microplastics leak into the environment,” the scientist says.
But glitter-loving 10-year-old Isobel (pictured top) isn’t convinced. “That’s terrible! Glitter is the best thing in the world,” she tells Mum Central. “Plus, it looks really pretty in your hair.”
The US, UK and New Zealand have banned or are in the process of banning microplastics and microbeads from products (including body washes, cosmetics, face creams and toothpastes). Some childcare centres overseas have even banned the use of glitter products in their preschools.
For now, Australia is relying on a voluntary phase-out system. While microplastics are not entirely extinct from our shelves just yet, many companies are removing microplastics from their products.
So stay patient, glitter-hating-parents. A world without glitter may be within reach. Even though it’s news that’s sure to make fairies – and glitter-loving kids – weep. In the meantime, have a look at this other childhood school staple that is still around…and still annoying as ever.
