Major Retailers Ditch Glitter For Christmas In Bid To Save Planet

A number of major UK supermarkets have vowed to ditch the glitter in their own-brand products this Christmas in a bid to help the environment.

Non-biodegradable glitter has proven to be a harmful pollutant, making its way into the food chain and causing harm to the creatures that ingest it.

It’s estimated that between four and 12 million tonnes of plastic waste travels into our oceans each year, before breaking down into tiny pieces that can be ingested by animals.

The plastic pieces are often toxic to those that ingest them, and can kill animals if their stomachs become full.

Many retailers are vowing to do their bit to reduce to the plastic pollution surge which usually occurs around the festive period.

Sainsbury’s has announced there will be ‘no glitter on [its] Christmas cards, wrapping paper or gift bags’ this year, adding that it would be reducing glitter used on crackers, decorations and flowers.

Meanwhile, Boots has promised to cut out all single-use plastic packaging from Christmas gifts, expected to amount to a reduction of 2,000 tonnes of plastic.

Asda has said this year will see the launch of its first sustainable Christmas range, while Tesco has vowed to only use edible glitter.

Now, Morrisons has announced that it will go the extra mile, completely removing glitter from all of its own-brand products, from cards, wrapping paper, present bags and crackers to other items such as plants and wreaths.

This year, the supermarket’s crackers will only include paper, metal or wooden toys in its crackers, too.

It’s estimated that the move will reduce 50 tonnes of plastic from Morrisons’ shelves this festive period.

‘Every time a cracker is pulled, or a card is opened, plastics have been used… but just the once,’ said Christine Bryce, Morrisons home director, as per BBC.

‘So, we’ve taken glitter and plastic out of our festive range this year – so that our customers can enjoy their festivities without worrying about the environmental impact.’

Meanwhile, Waitrose and John Lewis also agreed to remove all glitter from single-use products this Christmas.

The John Lewis Partnership said in a statement, ‘All own-brand cards, crackers, wrapping paper, gift bags are now 100% glitter-free.’

Speaking about the move away from plastic this Christmas, Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth said:

People can still enjoy the festive season without the glitter and pointless packaging that add to the waves of plastic pollution that pour into our environment every year and threaten our wildlife.

It’s certainly a step in the right direction, but the battle against plastic pollution continues.

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