Yesterday there were two illuminating developments in the campaign against microplastic pollution generally and, specifically, in the context of our industry, gitter.
The first was an article in the Guardian that reported how scientists had examined 62 human fetuses and found microplastics in every one of them. The article went on the confirm that microplastics was also now being found in breast milk and blood. And, as you’d expect, this has significant adverse health implications.
The second development involved a response from yet another regular contributor to a significant industry magazine to my invitation to collaborate in persuading the textile screen printing industry to stop using glitter. I approached him after reading an article in which he mentioned glitter prints. The opening line of his email was one I’ve become accustomed to by now: “Thanks for getting in touch. While I admire your tenacity, this is not an issue that i would like to be involved in.”
There are a two popular excuses for dismissing concerns about glitter as a microplastic and “not getting involved”: (1) There are biodegradable alternatives; and (2) Glitter is a minor plastic problem compared with, say, plastic bottles. Both of these are easily answered . . . the first is simply untrue, and the second is that we aren’t going to solve the sustainability issues in our industry by pointing out that other industries have bigger problems. We have to start cleaning up our act somewhere and glitter is as good a place as any to start.
And should you have doubts about the adverse impact of glitter on the environment, then you have only to consider that such significant entities as Hallmark, H&M, and the EU have banned it.
Change is hard, hard, hard. But while ignorance, vested self-interest, and greed keep getting in the way of bringing it about on a large scale, you could help at the grassroots level by refusing to use glitter.Then differentiate your shop by promoting it as ecologically responsible.