‘Natural’ glitter puts twinkle in eye of decoration makers

A BIODEGRADABLE and veganfriendly glitter made by scientists at the University of Cambridge is inspired by butterfly wings and peacock feathers.

The non-toxic sparkly material is made of cellulose nanocrystals, tiny bundles of the same hardy natural fibre which forms the foundation of plants.

The crystals glisten and twinkle like glitter because they distort light via a process called “structural colour”.

The organic glitter is as sparkly as the plastic alternative, the researchers claim, and much better for the environment.

Traditional glitter is a source of microplastics, tiny fragments which have been found atop mountain ranges and at the bottom of the world’s oceans.

Experts are divided on the health dangers of microplastics, which have been found in human bodies, drinking water and the food we eat, but there is no debate over their existence.

Glitter and other products which include small pieces of plastic are a major source of microplastics and campaigners have been calling for the sale of glitter to be banned. Making the product out of a natural material avoids the pollution without depriving Christmas decorations of their traditional shine. The cellulose nanocrystals films prepared by the team can be made at scale using roll-to-roll processes like those used to make paper from wood pulp, the academics say, which is the first time these specialist materials have been created on an industrial scale.

Senior author Prof Silvia Vignolini, from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, said: “Conventional pigments, like your everyday glitter, are not produced sustainably.

“They get into the soil, the ocean and contribute to an overall level of pollution. Consumers are starting to realise that while glitters are fun, they also have real environmental harms.”

Although the new glitter is built for the modern world to protect the future and reduce pollution, the academics are confident it will retain all the traditional qualities associated with glitter.

“It will be just as annoying – but it won’t harm the planet and is safe for your little ones,” Prof Vignolini said.

After producing the cellulose films, the researchers ground them into glitter-sized particles which are biodegradable, plastic-free and non-toxic.

The research was published in Nature Materials.