Posted on 11/30/2017 2:05:06 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Scientists are calling for a worldwide ban on glitter, warning that the arts and crafts supplies are a hazard to the environment, particularly the ocean.
Dr. Trisia Farrelly, an environmental anthropologist at Massey University in New Zealand, told The Independent that “all glitter” should be banned because it’s microplastic.
“Microplastics are fragments of plastic less than 5 millimetres in length. Their size makes them an appealing – though dangerous – food item for many animals,” writes The Independent. “Not only have marine animals from plankton to whales been documented eating plastic, often with fatal consequences, microplastics can end up inside us when we consume seafood. One study led by Professor Richard Thompson reported that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish.”
“Some estimates place the number of microplastics in the world's ocean at up to 51 trillion fragments in total,” reports the newspaper.
Farrelly explained that what most people don't know is that glitter is made of aluminum and a plastic called "PET," which “can break down to release chemicals that disrupt hormones in the bodies of animals and humans.”
“Such chemicals have been linked with the onset of cancers and neurological diseases,” The Independent reports.
Scientists worry that the glitter particles not just in arts and crafts supplies but also in bath products and cosmetics will wash into the ocean and threaten both marine and human life.
There are companies like Lush, a popular chain known for their colorful soaps and bath bombs, that have moved to replace glitter with biodegradable alternatives.
Dr. Sue Kinsey, senior pollution policy officer at the Marine Conservation Society, praised the move as a step in the right direction by a company that has "listened to advice and clearly understand the threat.”
Some British nurseries have already banned the products, not allowing children to play with or use glitter for arts and crafts projects, reports the BBC.
Managing director of Tops Day Nurseries, Cheryl Hadland, told the BBC, "You can see when the children are taking their bits of craft home and there's glitter on the cardboard, it blows off and into the air."
"There are 22,000 nurseries in the country, so if we're all getting through kilos and kilos of glitter, we're doing terrible damage," she said.
Microbeads like those found in toothpastes and body scrubs are a microplastic already being phased out of consumer products in the U.S. as part of the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. They are described as "down the drain" products hazardous to the environment.
Scientists view glitter as a "no-brainer" for lawmakers to tackle next on the agenda.
For more, check out the CBS Local report below.
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No seafood, glitter.
And LOL.
:D
So if there is a dog that farts, you just look for which dog has glitter periodically flying out of his butt?
I love glitter.
I hate it, but I’m not sure that I want to ban it. I mean, really, how much of it actually goes down a drain, besides body glitter?
progressives want to take all the fun out of life.
One of the characters on NCIS Los Angeles referred to glitter as the devil’s dandruff.
This is great. Now while having Baubles and Beads on as background, I can just picture you instead of those weirdos making jewelry. Wait. You are also a weirdo. S’OK, you’re my weirdo.
Some of those shows are hilarious, especially with the male beaders/jewelers.
great song...:-)
The fact that these are “scientists” saying all of this is reason one why I dont believe a word of it. Not kidding. I’d guess that there’s no real threat at all.
Me to. Its already band in my house. Some years ago the girls in my building thought it would be fun to decorate my office for my birthday.
They put that ferry dust crap everywhere. I was not amused. It took me years to finely get it all cleaned up. Its like toxic waste.
I worked a part time job in a hotel after I retired and several young women held a party in one of our rooms. They spread glitter all over the room and weeks after they checked out glitter was still being found in the room every time it was cleaned.
I don’t know about New Zealand, however here in America we clean the guts out of the fish before we eat them. Perhaps fish tripe is a big deal in New Zealand?
Heh! Definitely on the same page.
You may think you finally got it all cleaned up, but I’ll bet there’s still some around. Years from now you’ll still be seeing a glint in the carpet from time to time.
LOL!
NO!
It lets you know which of your dogs has the trots or whatever.
You color-code your dogs’ food with it.
:)
Bigoted green movement scientists attack eating plastic: gays feel margarinized.
Just make glitter BIODEGRADABLE.
Problem solved.
(hey I want residual income from this fix :)
Gorgeous, by the way.
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