Are you aiming for a glitter free Christmas?

More and more retailers are axing glitter and plastic packaging to try to deliver a more eco-friendly Christmas this year

The movement against glitter has been growing alongside an awareness of the dangers of microplastics.

Glitter is a type of microplastic – a plastic that is 5 millimetres in diameter or less – and can end up polluting our oceans, being ingested by fish and birds and becoming an environmental disaster.

Most major retailers in the UK have bowed to public pressure and have removed glitter from their seasonal ranges.

Shoppers at Morrisons will no longer be able to get glitter on greeting cards, gift wrap and seasonal items in stores. The supermarket has also removed all plastic toys from its Christmas crackers, which will be completely plastic-free this year.

It has also reduced the amount of plastic packaging on cards and decorations, with most now coming in recyclable cardboard.

Christine Bryce, Morrisons home director. said: “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.

“This means that we’re now 100 per cent glitter free across all our own brand ranges which is an important step in the fight against plastic pollution.”

Other retailers

Boots banned glitter from its seasonal gift range in 2020 and single-use plastic packaging from its Christmas gifts and John Lewis and Waitrose also removed glitter from all single-use products the same year.

Tesco doesn’t sell biodegradable or plastic glitter on any own-brand products or packaging.

Marks and Spencer removed glitter from its seasonal celebration range in 2019 and Sainsburys alongside cards, have removed glitter from a range of decorations and crackers, as well as flowers.

Are you happy to go glitter-free this Christmas? Or are you a fan of glitter and do you think we need a bit of sparkle to enjoy the festive season?