Summary

Conventional glitter, while sparkly and attractive tends to have dire ecological consequences due to its plastic composition. Glitter never really biodegrades and ends up polluting our waters or ends up in landfill.s To solve this problem, Bio-glitter has created an eco-friendly glitter alternative that is plastic-free and made entirely from plant-based materials. Instead of the plastic film used in conventional glitter, Bio-glitter uses cellulose derived from the fibers of eucalyptus trees. (Source) In contrast to conventional glitter which is basically a microplastic and ends up in our water streams, Bio-glitter’s biodegradable glitter is designed to biodegrade in freshwater environments within a few weeks. They currently have three major glitter ranges, one for cosmetics, one for decor (paint, etc.) and one for crafts. Bio-glitter requires environmental microbes to biodegrade and is insoluble in water. The product remains shelf stable and does not biodegrade unless in conditions having microbes that lead to biodegradation.

Story

Founding company Ronald Britton Ltd. conceived of the idea in 2010 after becoming increasingly aware of the potential problems of small plastic particles in the environment. After working through the problem for a few years, the company finally launched BioGlitter Sparkle and has come up with many glitter products since then. The company sold to Sigmund Lindner Gmbh in 2023.

Pic credit: Images Magazine (right and top)