Glitter is an arts and crafts staple, and the bane of many parents lives as it manages to survive every attempt at clean up. However, did you know glitter has a sinister side? Read on to find out Why Glitter for Kids Crafts Could Be Banned:
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In England, a chain of 19 kids nurseries, Tops Days Nurseries, has banned glitter after realising it’s a microplastic which harms the environment. The ban followed a survey of parents in which 86% said they wanted the nurseries to be more eco-sustainable.
More and more nurseries may follow suit. When you think about it, if you have lots of kids taking craft home with glitter on it and bits of glitter blow off, all of that can add up.
What is glitter made of?
According to Wikipedia, “modern glitter is usually manufactured from plastic.”
While glitter is only one small part of microplastics getting into the water supplies and into the sea, it is worth reconsidering the type of glitter you are using and maybe picking a more eco-friendly option.
This article on 1millionwomen.com.au explains why glitter is not so good for the environment.
This could be the end of glitter art projects such as sparkly cards or pictures, and certainly glitter and glue manufacturers may need to tweak their formula.
Personally I was never a huge fan as it seemed to get EVERYWHERE after my kids used it! But having said that, the end results of their efforts were admittedly pretty and sparkly. So it would be a shame to have no glitter at all, and kids do seem to love it.
Eco Friendly Glitter Options
So I had a scout around to see what was available as options for eco friendly glitter for kids crafts and found these places online selling environmentally friendly craft glitter.
It’s also good to see popular handmade soap and cosmetics company Lush making a change to their glitter policy. My daughters are big fans of their bath bombs and they certainly leave a lot of glitter on the bathtub afterwards!
Over to you now. What’s your thoughts on glitter? Would you consider buying more environmentally friendly glitter for kids crafts? Tell us in the comments below.
About the Author: Jill Holtz
