BioGlitz biodegradable glitter to reduce microplastics

Do you also still find glitter in the oddest places from that one party six years ago? Glitter can be fun and looks pretty when used, but it is horrible to clean up. And the worst part: glitter is basically microplastic, polluting the environment. In order to reduce the pressure on the environment, but still let you experience the fun (or horror, depending on your point of view) of glitter, the US company BioGlitz has come up with a solution: biodegradable glitter.

While looking innocent enough, regular glitter is made from petroleum-based plastic. Unlike most plastic products we use, it does not start out as a larger object that slowly falls apart, but is already small and only becomes smaller and harder to clean up. When it ends up in our environment, animals ingest the small flakes, and the glitter slowly works its way up the food chain until it ends up on our plate.

Rather than using petroleum-based plastic, BioGlitz aims to “raise aware environmental awareness while blurring gender lines by spreading sustainable shine.” The glitter is derived from FSC-certified eucalyptus plant cellulose. The material is pressed into a thin film. Cosmetic pigments and 0.1 per cent aluminium are added to give the material its colour and shine. The film is then precision cut into various particle sizes to create a cosmetic-grade collection of glitter, so that you can shine sustainably!

Photos: BioGlitz