Scottish school becomes first in UK to ban glitter

A Scottish primary school has become the first in the UK to ditch controversial plastic glitter in favour of a more eco-friendly biodegradable alternative.

Glitter has been banned from the school. Picture: Creativity103/Flickr/CC 2.0

Pupils from Logan primary school, in East Ayrshire, are now using plant-based Craft Bioglitter, which degrades in around four weeks, in all its art and craft lessons. The move to the more environmentally-friendly alternative, rather than using traditional polyester glitter, comes after the clampdown on microplastic pollution, caused by products like glitter.

Louise Baillie, principal teacher at the school which is working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, said ordinary plastic glitter could be problematic for the environment.“Glitter is a product that is loved but there is a huge stigma surrounding it because it is a microplastic which basically falls off everywhere and can find its way easily into the natural environment.”

Craft Bioglitter, developed by UK firm Ronald Britton, is 92 per cent plastic-free. The company aims to launch a completely plastic-free version this year.