All That Glitters is…Plastic?! (Part 2)

What Can You Do?

Glitter is a great addition to make any art project sparkle or to make the holidays more festive, but how can you enjoy glitter without doing environmental harm? There are companies that are working to create eco-friendly glitter so that no school art project or present can go glitterless!

LUSH Cosmetics

LUSH cosmetics is popular for their bath bombs and other beauty products and they are often celebrated for their eco-friendly practices. They switched all glitter in their products to using mica, a natural mineral that has a similar sparkle and glimmer as glitter. As of January 1, 2018, LUSH has started to remove natural mica from their products to a synthetic mica that they produce. The synthetic mica used by LUSH is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic glitter.


Bioglitter® is a UK based company that produces biodegradable glitter. They have three types of glitter: Cosmetic Bioglitter®, Deco Bioglitter® and Craft Bioglitter®. Cosmetic Bioglitter® is formulated to be used in cosmetics and personal care usages. Deco Bioglitter® is a technical grade of glitter meant for decorations, crafts, coatings, and fabrics. Craft Bioglitter® is formulated for educational crafting use.

Bioglitter® is made using cellulose fiber from responsibly sourced and managed eucalyptus trees instead of PET core in traditional glitter. The cellulose fiber is then coated and cut to size.
Bioglitter® comes in two varieties for their cosmetic and deco glitter, Bioglitter® Sparkle and Bioglitter® Pure. Bioglitter® Sparkle is 92% plastic free whereas their new Bioglitter® Pure is 100% plastic free. Both varieties are tested for being biodegradable in the environment. While you can’t buy Bioglitter®  directly from their website, they do list retailers that sell their glitter if you are interested in buying eco-friendly glitter!

Be Conscious!

These glitter alternatives are good for your crafting and decorative uses but let’s be honest, glitter is in everything and near to impossible to avoid! Credit cards, football helmets, paint, even plywood, all have glitter. However, one thing you can control is how you dispose of your waste and how much waste you produce.

Former Baykeeper intern Ally Antipow is a student at Rutgers University and is passionate about environmental policy and sustainability.