Waitrose announces total ban on glitter from all its products by Christmas 2020

 Waitrose has become the first major retailer to say it will ban glitter from all its products as the substance falls from grace amid environmental concerns.

The supermarket said it will phase out glitter in all single-use products, including labels, cards, flowers and plants, by Christmas 2020.

The announcement comes amid fears that microplastics, including glitter, continue to pollute the world’s oceans and are being eaten by fish, eventually ending up being ingested by humans. Glitter’s popularity has waned as the public has become more aware that it also makes the products it is attached to non-recyclable.

In October, retailers including Paperchase, Next, Debenhams, John Lewis, M&S and Sainsbury’s said they had made a conscious effort to reduce glitter in Christmas items this year. Glitter is made of tiny pieces of plastic that do not break down and can end up in sewage, rivers and seas.

Tor Harris, of Waitrose, said: “Reducing the impact of plastics on the environment is something our customers care passionately about. While it’s important to eliminate the use of glitter, we’ll find other ways to make sure our products sparkle at Christmas and throughout the year.” She added that 75 per cent of the retailer’s Christmas products this year were glitter-free.

David Bolton, of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers recognise how important it is to their customers to tackle plastic pollution, removing it where possible and ensuring all packaging is recyclable.”