Hello everyone!
So, while I was writing my post on the Also Festival, I realised some of you might not know the difference between our Earth-Kind glitter and the “normal” glitter that is being so widely used.
So how do you tell your biodegradable glitter from your plastic glitter?
Bio is much 30% to 40% softer and has hexagon flakes so is much less likely to damage the skin or eyes
Plastic is scratchy, comes in shapes like hearts and diamonds, it can scratch and damage the eyes sometimes badly!
Bio is easier to remove – damp cloth and is not harmful if it goes down the drain
Plastic is hard to remove – sellotape, wipes, vaseline have all been used to remove it
Bio breaks down in the environment and you wont see it in your home for ever if it drops on the floor
Plastic NEVER breaks down, it always sits about in your home if dropped on the floor
Bio has more limited colours and and can never be holographic like plastic.
Plastic can be holographic
Bio is more expensive to buy because its harder to produce and is sustainable
Plastic is cheap, its a bi product of other petrochemical industries and VERY damaging to the planet
Remember to always look on the label for cellulose, this means its NOT plastic, remember to look for BIO-DEGRADABLE not just DEGRADABLE which can be plastic when choosing glitter.
This is an extract from an online article from National Geographic, that I thought is useful to fully understand.
“Glitter is made from plastic sheets and used in a wide array of products, including cosmetics. When washed down the drain, glitter becomes a subset of marine plastic litter known as microplastic. Microplastics, which measure less than five millimeters in length, are found throughout the world’s oceans. They are consumed by plankton, fish, shellfish, seabirds, and other marine life. Plastic bits collect in birds’ stomachs, where they can cause them to die of starvation.”
As you can see, glitter causes a lot of damage! For that reason, we use 100% plant based glitter made from eucalyptus plant cellulose, that will break harmlessly down in the environment. The microbes will also eat it and it’s safe for wildlife and fish.
So, before you buy products with glitter in them, try and see if it really is biodegradable like our Earth Kind Glitter. It’s an easy way to help protect our environment.
Till next time!
Suzie + Ellie