The Emergence of a Shiny Enemy

In 2020, major retailers, Morrisons, Waitrose, and John Lewis have declared that they are withholding the use of glitter in their single-use Christmas products. While the decision might be seen as a step in the right direction, the debacle on glitter remains largely split. Some argue that the proportion of glitter amongst the opulence of microplastics in our oceans is too minuscule for a ban to make much positive impact. While others take a more aggressive stance, lobbying for a complete ban on glitter.

It’s hard to imagine how shiny snowflakes and shimmery snowmen could threaten our environment. Glitter is essentially a type of microplastics - plastics that measure less than five millimeters in length. Microplastics typically form with the degradation of plastic waste by UV rays and wave action. More notably, the trouble with microplastics comes with their persistent nature, ability to release chemicals, and their propensity to absorb other pollutants. Recently, researchers in Australia have found that 9.25 to 15.87 million tonnes of microplastics are embedded in the seafloor. Additionally, humans are estimated to ingest about 5 grams of microplastics every week. While little is known about the ill effects of microplastics on the human body, some scholarship has shown that microplastics could cause a localized immune response.

Now comes the conundrum of whether glitter bans should be imposed. Due to limited research, little is known about glitter’s effect on the environment. Hence, scientists interviewed in a National Geographic article, agree that it would be premature to impose a ban on glitter. Furthermore, since the proportion of glitter amongst microplastics is extremely minscule, a ban would do little to address the problem of microplastics.

While cutting out glitter would reduce an individual’s carbon footprint, an overemphasis on glitter’s perils would distract us from the bigger problem at hand. It is pertinent that consumers are not decoyed into thinking that companies imposing a glitter ban are sufficient in pledging their allegiance to environmentalism. Although Morrisons, Waitrose, and John Lewis have removed glitter from their products, many of them are still packaged in plastics. Even as these retailers pledge to reduce plastic packaging, this paradox illustrates the need for meaningful changes in the way businesses operate.

Cheryl Lee

Marketing Department