Why I Won’t Be Wearing Glitter This Festival Season

This article was making the rounds on social media last week and one of my friends actually texted it to me because I am now notorious for loving glitter. At our first festival together, I hadn't brought any myself, but some camping neighbors were putting it on and I immediately ran up and asked if they would glitter me up too. Everyone who shared a tent with me that night spent the next two weeks finding purple glitter in the most skeptical places. The bf, in particular was not about it.

This was at the beginning of that infamous glittery day. As you can see, I’m the only one in the group with glitter on...the only one.

And this was the end...note the pound of glitter still prominently on my shoulder after a day of sweating in the sun (and the boyfriend making sure not to get too close to said shoulder).

As I've worked more in the wedding industry, I've started reading more about the damage glitter, confetti and other popular exit décor does to the environment. I've personally already saved about five companies I could possibly use for eco-friendly confetti poppers when I eventually get married. Then I realized, why am I only thinking about this for my wedding? That's a one day, one time (hopefully) event, whereas I go to multiple festivals and concerts every year and I often wear glitter as a part of my outfit.

So this year, I've decided I'm going to be all about the holographic look, aka all shimmer and shine, no loose glitter, unless, it’s biodegradable glitter. How is that different, you ask? Well, my dears, let me count the ways.

1. Glitter gets (and stays) everywhere

And I mean, everywhere. Glitter is our answer to Mother Nature's sand, or the flu. It will travel around the crevices of your body in seeming impossible ways and is incredibly contagious. Grab someone's hand, they will now pass an ever-multiplying amount of tiny sparkles to their friend, who will pass it to the guy working the Island Noodles stand, who will pass it to the stranger he bumps into on his way to the main stage after his shift is over. The drone view would be a twinkling viral contagion map.

2. Glitter is terrible for the environment, particularly the ocean

Even after you wash it off in the shower, you may think out of sight, out of mind, but it’s not so for the planet. Glitter is essentially teeny, tiny bits of plastic (aka, this is why it’s so contagious, plastic sticks, especially to sweaty skin). It doesn’t break down, so once it eventually falls off your body, those little pieces of plastic lay in wait, for their moment to crest havoc. (Yes, I’m comparing glitter to a comic book villain. My eyes have been opened, people!) These microplastics have been found to sometimes evade filtration systems and escape unchanged directly into the ocean. Here, they can release chemicals and endanger marine life.

Scientists have found this minuscule plastic from the surface of the ocean to the floor, deep below any water we’re swimming through. Here, they can last for hundreds of years, leaking chemicals not meant for this space.

3. It’s not just terrible for the environment, but creatures as well

The aforementioned glitter villain bides it time, waiting for innocent wildlife wandering around to lick it up or to swim up and open it’s mouth. Once ingested, there is numerous damage these microplastics can cause. They can sit in an animal’s stomach and accumulate, eventually making the creature think it’s full, until it dies of starvation. They can induce gut blockage, physical injury, changes to oxygen levels in cells, changed feeding behaviour and reduced energy levels, which impacts growth and reproduction. So, essentially, we could be harming the future of said animals as well, not just those in the here and now. As an animal lover, this is horrifying to me. The environment part is as well, but particularly the damage done to blameless wildlife. 

So. What can we do? If you are still willing to make your friends lowkey hate you, don’t just buy whatever glitter you find at Walmart or wherever. Do a tiny bit of research and get biodegradable glitter. There’s literally no difference once it’s on you, you’re just helping the environment after it’s leaves your body. Search “biodegradable glitter” and thousands of results will come up. There’s EcoStardust, GLITTEREVOLUTION, Universal Soul and so many more. Even popular beauty brand, Lush, has made a commitment to rid their products of plastic glitter. As of January 1, 2018, they have turned to synthetic mica for all the sparkle and shimmer in their products. Thank god, because I love me a bath bomb.

Now excuse me while I go add a few things to my shopping cart...