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Environmentalists call for worldwide ban on glitter

Glitter - Level 4

Scientists want to highlight the damage glitter does to our environment. They want a worldwide ban on the shiny plastic that decorates everything around us. Scientists say glitter is a micro-plastic and should be banned. A lot of glitter ends up in the world's oceans. Fish cannot digest glitter. It does not break down so it stays in the food chain. A professor found that plastic was discovered in about one-third of the fish caught around the United Kingdom.

Micro-plastics are less than five millimeters long. A professor told a newspaper: "I think all glitter should be banned because it's a micro-plastic." Another professor was worried after his daughters got some shower gel with glitter in it. He said it would, "escape down the plughole and…enter the environment". A cosmetics company will no longer use plastic glitter. It said: "We've avoided micro-plastics by switching to synthetic and mineral glitter."

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Glitter - Level 5

Scientists are highlighting the damage that glitter does to our environment. They want a worldwide ban on the shiny pieces of plastic that decorate everything from eyelids to furniture. Scientists from a New Zealand university say glitter is a micro-plastic and it should be banned. A large amount of glitter ends up in the world's oceans. Fish cannot digest it because it does not break down. It stays in the food chain. Professor Richard Thompson found that plastic particles were discovered in about one-third of the fish caught in seas around the United Kingdom.

Micro-plastics are less than five millimeters long. Most glitter produced around the world is micro-plastic. Another professor told a newspaper: "I think all glitter should be banned because it's a micro-plastic." Professor Thompson said he was concerned when somebody bought his daughters some shower gel with glitter in it. He said the glitter would, "escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment". The cosmetics company Lush is discontinuing its use of plastic glitter. It said: "We've avoided micro-plastics by switching to synthetic and mineral glitter."

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Glitter - Level 6

Scientists are highlighting the damage that glitter does to our seas, oceans and environment. The scientists are calling for a worldwide ban on the sparkly, shiny pieces of plastic that decorate everything from eyelids to greetings cards to furniture. Scientists from New Zealand's Massey University say glitter is a micro-plastic and should therefore be banned. They say a considerable amount of glitter ends up in the world's oceans. Fish cannot digest it and it does not break down, so it stays in the food chain. Professor Richard Thompson conducted research in the seas around the United Kingdom. He found that plastic particles were discovered in about one-third of the fish caught.

Micro-plastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are less than five millimeters long. Most glitter produced around the world falls into the category of micro-plastics. Dr Trisia Farrelly told Britain's "Independent" newspaper: "I think all glitter should be banned because it's a micro-plastic." Professor Thompson said: "I was quite concerned when somebody bought my daughters some shower gel that had glitter particles in it. That stuff is going to escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment." Some cosmetics companies are now discontinuing their use of plastic glitter. The company Lush stated: "We've avoided micro-plastics by switching to synthetic and mineral glitter."

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