As it turns out, glitter—yes, sparkly glitter—might very well be a cause worth looking into.
Thursday, April 04, 2019
It May Be Time to Stop Using Glitter
As it turns out, glitter—yes, sparkly glitter—might very well be a cause worth looking into.
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I am not usually a fan of glitter, but this article revealed to me how it could actually be harmful. I definitely believe that materials should be considered in regard to their impact on the environment before usage. I understand how that could become very difficult when creating a budget, however, sometimes it simply requires more creativity. This school year, I have really made an effort to reuse and recycle materials, namely for a lower cost. Yet this also eliminated unnecessary waste, especially since I would likely alter or paint over the material anyway. Another factor to be considered though is if it is worth the time to reuse materials that would require more labor hours to fix. In high school or other educational theatre, this may not be much of an issue. But when one is paying for labor, removing and sorting every screw could be a waste of time and money.
Glitter is such a unique product. Essentially just really small shimmery plates that stick to everything and nothing. It is hard to work with, it is often seen at music festival, parties, and in makeup. However, I have always disliked glitter. My main reason to begin with was that I could never get it completely off of me. This would be from a simple brush up of another person as well; it wasn’t like I applied it to myself rather just accidentally came into contact with it. It is also extremely difficult to clean up and became the second reason why I very much dislike this stuff. Working in theatre especially because you can go years and continue to still find it somewhere and resisting its release to end up thrown away. This article now gives me yet another reason to dislike the product and that’s its usefulness as a pollutant. It is so bad that it has actually started to make its way into us, we are consuming it without ever knowing it. It is just an overall terrible product and should have been banned years ago, at least now it is making its way toward that ban.
I knew I hated glitter for a reason. I have never thought of it in this context before, but it totally makes sense. If you can find it years after you use it in your house, then I am sure you could find it for decades in nature. There is no telling how many flecks of glitter have been produced on Earth, and I am sure almost all of them are still here somewhere. It must do terrible things to all kinds of ecosystems. I think there should definitely be more studies done in this area, and honestly I would not be surprised if it becomes a banned product sooner rather than later. At least I hope so. If it really is that bad, it would be sad to see the issue get ignored because it looks pretty. The biodegradable kind should become the standard, and that is really the only answer.
I have absolutely always hated glitter and always felt that it didn't belong on stage. I always felt this purely out of the fact that it was so messy. Glitter sticks to everything, gets everywhere and is impossible to get rid of. I swear that I still find glitter on some of my jeans from a show I did years ago. However, I never thought too much about the negative effects glitter can have on the environment. While this article didn't surprise me, I had just never thought about it. It makes sense. Glitter is a plastic just like everything from straws to product packaging. It is super easy to see how something so messy and "permanent" could make its way into the ocean, wreaking havoc on the wildlife within. I hope more entities like Disney, the European Union, and more decide to join the anti-confetti train, banning it from use in their facilities.
I do not think that I hate glitter, as a concept, as much as other people do but this article made it clear that, while I do not hate the effect of glitter, I firmly support its being banned. It makes complete sense to me that glitter is so wasteful and it honestly does not seem like it should be too painful to anyone to eliminate its usage. One thing I love about theater is how people are constantly innovating and finding new ways to adapt to situations and use new materials that are less harmful, and I hope this will be no different. I have no doubt in my mind that there are substitutes for glitter that are less tacky, less wasteful, and can create interesting effects with light. While I do not hate glitter, I do think that its time has passed and people are no longer really interested in it anymore which, in this case, will be helpful in eliminating its use.
Like Mirah, I don’t think I hate glitter to the extent that many other people, but I have just never really seen the point of it. I think it is messy and I am not entirely sure the visual look of it outweigh the burden it is to deal with. And now I am absolutely sure that the visual look of glitter does not outweigh how bad it is for the environment, so I too am a firm supporter of glitter being banned. After reading this article I was surprised that I haven’t heard more about people recognizing how bad glitter is for the environment, I have never really even thought about it myself. I learned in an environmental science class that microplastics are really bad for the environment so of course glitter would be too. I am definitely going to make a much more conscious effort in my life to not use glitter (or use biodegradable glitter) and I really hope other people and major companies will recognize how bad glitter is and stop using it as well.
I love glitter, but I know that it is a fairly destructive material when it gets into the environment. I try to use biodegradable glitter when possible, but it is somewhat difficult to find and usually expensive. I stopped buying loose glitter last year, but I’m still guilty of using it in other products (mostly makeup). I wonder if there might be other areas where microplastics’ impact could be lessened without eliminating them completely. Their small size and the difficulty of filtering them out of water is precisely what makes them so problematic, but maybe there are other ways to filter them that could be implemented, like evaporative filtering. Too many glittery products are profitable for it to just disappear anytime soon, so it seems like this might be an area where we should invest time and effort. Other than that, I don’t see it disappearing without an outright ban by government organizations. Unfortunately, I guess that might be the best solution.
I agree that we shouldn’t keep using environmentally damaging products that are basically completely unnecessary, such as glitter, but I think finding an environmentally friendly alternative to glitter (such as the options mentioned in this article) is going to be more effective than just trying to get everyone to stop using glitter. I also feel like when it comes to discussions about the environment people sometimes fixate on items that are easy to get rid of even if they make a relatively small environmental impact. I know that is definitely the case for plastic straws (plus those are actually necessary for a lot of people and aren’t as trivial as many people act like they are). I wonder how much of an impact it would make even if we entirely got rid of glitter. Based on this article, it does seem like it really is substantially damaging. And regardless, it is good to do what we can, there is no point in just throwing our hands up because nothing is perfect.
Like Annika and Mirah said, I definitely do not have a passionate hate for glitter like others, but I did not know the environmental effects of it. Realizing how the materials we use impact our surroundings is so important, especially in our major and field. The massive amounts of materials we use for projects is dangerous if we don’t know the environmental impacts and how to appropriately dispose of these materials when we’re done to cause the least amount of harm possible. I love using glittery golds and maroons when I do my makeup and cosmetic glitter is different than craft glitter, but still reading this made me a lot of aware of what I am buying when it comes to these products and materials. I think glitter can be used in a very effective way for projects, I just hope an alternative product can be made to achieve the same effect.
Like most other people in this comment section, I am not a fan of glitter. And while it does have its environmental problems, as mentioned in this article, I hate it for other reasons. I do not hate glitter by itself in small amounts. However, most people overuse it and it ends up going everywhere. I think that small amounts of self-applied glitter are largely harmless, and there is no reason to hate this use of glitter. Addressing the environmental issues presented in this article, plastic is bad, end of story. However, both straws and glitter are anything but the issue, and especially straws may be necessary for people who are disabled, and may not be able to consume food and drink as easily as others. This is why I believe that straw bans are actually dangerous. I also think that there are other options, including but not limited to compostable straws, and banning other types of plastics.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of glitter and while I don’t have a burning hatred for it, I’ve never seen a reason to use it for anything. It gets everywhere, it’s nearly impossible to fully clean up, and personally it always looks pretty tacky. Really the only time I’ve ever wanted to use glitter was for the purpose of making someone else miserable. I’d never considered the environmental impacts of glitter, and I assume many others haven’t as well, since the particles are so small it doesn’t register as something that could be that dangerous. But the concerns make a lot of sense once you remember that the pieces are made of plastics and other materials that shouldn’t be consumed. However, while things like straws might pose a few problems, I think articles like this distract from larger problems with manufacturing companies and other sources of pollution that contribute a substantially greater amount of harm than glitter. Runoff from vehicles, boats, farms, factories, etc. is the largest contributor to polluting marine life, and I think it’s more important to focus on fixing that before getting nitpicky with glitter.
I’m really weak at this article, but also a little enlightened. I have been aware and thinking about the use of micro-plastics which are in my consumption, although forgot to think about glitter. Reading this article, I warned my glitter-obsessed roommate of the possible coming glitter-ban. Her response, was to buy more glitter. This is the problem, you want to get rid of something that capitalism has glorified? Don’t. Often this makes a situation worse or harder. People feel threatened, heir comfort, their happy things, things which we use to make this intolerable thing called existence a little better. This awareness on glitter has really made me think of the changes we must make in conversations/actions for the environment. Making alternatives is KEY. Lush is already ahead, although child labour is a huge problem and worrying about child labour in mica mining is not something I want to be thinking about when buying my friend a new tub of glitter. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism is a real one.
After performing a cost-benefit analysis on glitter, it really does seem to be a no-no on all fronts. I truthfully never saw the appeal, mainly because I was always the one that had to clean it up. Given that the effect only last a matter of seconds makes it very difficult to justify the lasting impact glitter has on the environment. I really do believe that the outcome most designers are going for can be achieved without the use of these toxic microplastics.
I hope as more people begin to understand how harmful these special effects are they will think twice before using them in their show. The European Union has done a lovely job of setting a precedent with a banned on single-use plastics, and I hope to see other nations latch on to this movement as these environmental issues inevitably get worse.
The new “save the sea turtles,” glitter. I’m sure there are some professors at this school who would full heartedly agree with this article, even if it’s not for the same reasons. After spending hours trying to clean up glitter from the Rauh floor, I mainly agree. I think the only glitter that should be used is water soluble so that when you mop it disintegrates. If this were widely used it would solve the two main issues with glitter, Environmental concerns and cleanup. Although if it was dissolved in water it needs to be natural enough that then the water wasn’t harmful to marine life. Water soluble glitter is also less costly than the article suggested retailing for about $5 verses the articles 17$. Overall it will be like the switch to environmentally friendly straws, not all situations fit all types of straws, it can be impractical for a child to be responsible for a reusable straw, and biodegradable straws barely help if they are not disposed of properly. Similar to this, you would have to find a new solution for glitter in shows that use water.
I think this is the root of our problem. People associate these innocent looking products like glitter or confetti as childlike and harmless but in all actuality they are harming our earth just like any other plastic is. Plastic in general is probably one of the worst inventions ever created because it has caused so many more issues than making our lives more convenient. It upsets me because the solutions seem so simple on the surface but are actually very complicated or are just made out to be. I feel like every place should try to cut out plastic as much as they can or the waste management team needs to figure out a more secure and efficient way of dividing plastic in recycling and people should recycle more. But none of these issues are as solid of a plan as just cutting about plastic completely and eliminating the issue from the root of the problem/ getting rid of the source.
I clicked on this article because I laughed at the headline. All year Dick has been telling us about how much he hates glitter and how we better not ever bring it into studio because it will never leave. That’s a very important point I hadn’t thought much of before—it never leaves. It does not decompose, it cannot be easily swept away, once it’s there, it’s there forever. I had never considered the environmental impacts of glitter before, but after reading this article it makes so much sense. Glitter is kind of like baby diapers, which sit in landfills forever, never decomposes, and ruining our planet. Glitter does this same on a smaller level but is nevertheless bad for the environment. Like Will, I agree that straw bans can be potentially dangerous as the bans are ableist and some people may NEED straws, but NO ONE NEEDS GLITTER. Yes, it’s fun but there are alternatives coming out so if you like glitter that much, simply use the biodegradable kind. I think all other kinds should be banned because you aren’t hurting anyone with that. It’s not bad to not offer cheap glitter to poorer people because they have way more important issues on their mind. Also, by only offering the safe, more expensive glitter, people will think harder about if they really need it or not, and if they do, it won’t be problematic.
Personally, I have never liked glitter. It gets everywhere and it is nearly impossible to completely clean up, especially from a theatrical space with curtains and scenery. Despite my hate for glitter, I have never thought about the environmental implications of the material. Like Nicolaus said, it is often used at outdoor venues such as music festivals. This creates an immediate problem because of the animals that roam around the festival grounds long after the festival has closed. The issue with microplastics and the ocean is another large problem. I once read an article that stated that nothing that comes from the ocean can be considered organic anymore due to the presence of microplastics. Whether this is true or not yet, it is a plausible outcome if we do not do something about our plastic consumption and disposal. I hope to see large live entertainment companies tackle the plastic straw problem, and begin tackling the glitter problem and eliminate it from future productions.
I was reading a news article a while ago in which a reporter conducted interviews with executives of the largest glitter company in the world, and they absolutely refused to tell him what was in glitter or how glitter was made, or who their clients were. That article was written in a very humorous way, but reading this one it struck me how much we use this product that we don’t know that much about. Everyone’s main complaint with glitter in a theatrical setting is that it’s hard to clean up and never really goes away, but when we’re done using it we sweep it up and throw it away without wondering what happens once we are done with it. With microplastic ocean pollution becoming a much bigger media issue in the last few years, it’s good that we’ve been examining what we throw away more closely. While I don’t have any strong personal opinions about glitter one way or another, I’m happy to not use it not only to appease those who hate it but also to try and prevent it from further harming the environment.
I’ve avoided using glitter so far, so I’ve not experienced the difficulties that come along with it. But I have heard many horror stories, after one use it’s there forever. A year later and your still cleaning it from the nook and crannies in your desk. I’m glad to hear that the European Union banned single use plastic straw encouraging to replace it’s usage for a greener option. I haven’t really thought past glitter’s messy aspect on reasons not to use it. After reading this article I have found another reason to continue avoiding the infamous glitter horror story experience. I’m surprised at just how bad glitter can be for the environment, due to it being a microplastic. There are probably a lot of other craft materials that have the same kind of effect, and I'm definitely going to consider that aspect when choosing materials in the future. But what makes glitter a truly bad material is that it is often single use or when applied long term corrodes easily creating a mess.
This year, I've definitely become more aware of reusing materials and being eco friendly, not only because of cost, but I've noticed how much we, just as residents of 33, waste. I think glitter is one of those materials that can never be reused and always gets thrown away. I know that there is biodegradable glitter on the market and the use of mica is very smart, and I think it would be wise for the craft industry to phase out using non-biodegradable glitter in favor of a more eco friendly alternative. I understand that it's more expensive, but who really needs that much glitter in their life? I think glitter is fine in small applications, but there's no need to have a whole wall full of glitter when it can cause so much harm to everyone in the chain of use. Hopefully, if biodegradable glitter becomes more mainstream, the cost will go down.
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