Author: Jocelyn Goh

Jocelyn’s Reflection

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Building on what has been mentioned by Eliza, we started this blog with the aim to raise awareness about environmental pollution, and how our consumerist lifestyle is the culprit for all these environmental problems we see (or may not) today. We centred our discussion on various themes – from food, fashion and beauty products to domestic cleaning agents and then e-wastes. Of course, there are other modes of consumption that results in environmental pollution – and here is where you come in. Do let the end of our weekly updates stop you from knowing more about environment pollution. It is now your turn to find out more about environmental pollution! Do send us a link if you decide to blog on it too.

I mentioned at the start of our blog that I was not an environment-conscious individual, and I aim to go on a journey of discovery through this blog. Let me tell you, I TOTALLY DID. Through blogging, it got me to realise that consumerism is the bane of the environment. And I, as a consumerist, has been building my joys upon the pain of Mother Earth. This may sound a bit serious but it seems like almost every action of the present-day human being brings harm to the environment. We pollute the environment, even without knowing that we did!

Well, I am not saying we need to overthrow consumerism or capitalism, my point is that people need to start realising the costs of their actions and build up a collective resolve to save our very sick Mother Earth. We can start by changing our habits – just like how Eliza suggested. Let’s take baby steps together and start making a change!

And as we come to the very last post of our blog, I would like to thank you for being a constant reader to what we have got the share. I hope that we have ignited the eco-consciousness in you, just as it has for me. I would also like to thank Eliza for being an amazing blogging partner, and for being so passionate about making the environment better. You are sure the favourite child of Mama Earth.

Towards a Better Future: Zero Waste

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Welcome back to our blog! As we come towards the end of our blogging semester, I hope that you have managed to gain insights on how our consumerist lifestyle has contributed to environmental pollution and found our various mitigation ideas useful. Today, I would like to share about a movement that you can be apart of to stay away from aggravating environment woes. That is to be: Zero Waste.

 

According to Zero Waste SG, Zero Waste is a concept that challenges the old way of thinking about waste as something that has no value and to be thrown away. This is in accordance with the Zero Waste Alliance which states:

“Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”

Here, the Zero Waste concept is in line with our goal to reduce our carbon footprint and to mitigate the issue of environmental pollution. This has been taken up by the Singapore government who has responded with its commitment towards a zero-waste nation. See Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan here. Alternatively, a summary of the Masterplan can be seen here.

While the Zero Waste Masterplan delineates nationwide targets and efforts, there are things we could do as individuals in support of the nationwide Zero Waste movement. To start our zero waste, we can do so by supporting and making purchases at Zero Waste stores, rather than plastic packaging filled retailers. The scope of Zero Waste stores has been expanding rapidly to cover the sale of different necessities given the rise in environmental consciousness, and positive responses towards the movement.

In case you are unaware of the range of items available in stores, here are some Zero Waste stores in Singapore that provides a range of necessities:

  • Scoop Wholefoods: nuts, butters
  • Unpackt: dried foods, superfoods, natural washing and cleaning liquids
  • Reprovisions: dried foods
  • Vom FASS: oils, vinegars, wines, whisky
  • Eco.Le: grains, snacks, soap bars, scented candle refills
  • The Castile Soap Shop: eco-friendly soaps
  • The Social Space: shampoos, cleaning & washing agents

In addition to Zero Waste stores, do also engage in the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle! Together, we can all be environmental-friendly individuals by leading eco-friendly lifestyles. Not all is lost! There are ways and things we can do save the environment, as long as we are committed to doing so as one humankind.

[Mitigation] Pollution from E-wastes

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As we have shared in our previous post, there is a NEED to mitigate the e-waste problem. In this post, I will share with you what has been done in Singapore to alleviate the e-waste situation, followed by what we can do.

What has been done?

In March 2019, it has been mandated by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) for manufacturers of large household appliances — including refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing machines —  to collect at least 60 per cent (in weight) of the appliances they supply to the market each year for recycling. Similarly, manufacturers for smaller consumer electronics such as lamps, portable batteries, and info-communication technology (ICT) equipment are required to collect at least 20% (Choo, 2019).

Virogreen e-waste collection bins

This has encouraged companies to form partnerships with recycling facilities to increase the ease of recycling by consumers. For example, telco M1 has partnered with recycling firm Virogreen to set up e-waste collection bins in malls.

Moving forward, Singapore will introduce regulatory measures to ensure that electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) is managed effectively and efficiently in Singapore. An e-waste management system will be established by 2021 (NEA, 2018). An overview of the system can be seen in the infographic below:

To find out the specific details and workings of the system, see here.

What can we, as consumers, do?

  • Take good care of your electronics

With good care, you will be able to maintain the condition and lifespan of your electronics. This way, changes or replacement will be less frequent, and hence, less need for you to make new purchases, as well as dispose of unusable goods.

  • Buy only what you need

The best way to resolve this e-waste problem is from our consumption. Reducing consumption is the most effective way to alleviate e-waste and its related environmental problem. Before making a purchase, ask yourself “Do I really need this?”. Buy only things that are necessary. This way, by reducing our consumption and carbon footprint, we can all play a part to nurse our Earth back to health.

  • Donate your unwanted, but usable items

As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. As such, instead of discarding what you deem as ‘outdated’ and ‘unwanted’, consider donating it. Perhaps it could be of use to others!

  • Recycle, not dispose

I have said this before but recycling is the way to go. We surely do not want the leakage of harmful substances into our waterways or atmosphere. In Singapore, there are several e-waste recycling programmes such as StarHub’s RENEW (REcycling Nation’s Electronic Waste), ReCYCLE: Singtel x SingPost E-Waste Recycling Programme, IKEA’s Light Bulb Recycling Programme and more. Alternatively, you may drop off your e-waste at these designated recycling points.

Adapted from Geneco (2019) & Towards Zero Waste (2020).

 

References:

Choo, C. (2019 September 3). Trash Talk: A toxic trash pile grows when gadgets become waste — in a year or less. TODAYONLINE. https://www.todayonline.com/features/trash-talk-gadgets-designed-become-waste-year-or-less-toxic-trash-pile-grows

Geneco. (2019, September 25). Top Tips On Reducing The Electronic Waste Pollution In Singapore. https://blog.geneco.sg/knowledge/top-tips-on-reducing-the-electronic-waste-pollution-in-singapore

NEA. (2018 March 6). NEA To Implement E-waste Management System For Singapore By 2021. https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/nea-to-implement-e-waste-management-system-for-singapore-by-2021

Towards Zero Waste. (2020 September 15). Electronic Waste. https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/ewaste/#:~:text=Singapore%20generates%20about%2060%2C000%20tonnes,technologies%20constantly%20replacing%20old%20ones.

Pollution from E-wastes : E-waste Problem in Singapore

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It is update time! So, in our previous posts, we shared about e-wastes, as well as how it leads to pollution. Today, we will be sharing about the extent of the e-waste problem in Singapore.

Extent of the problem

According to a National Environmental Agency study, it founded that Singapore generates 60,000 tonnes of e-waste a year (NEA, 2018). This is equivalent to the discard of 70 mobile phones by each individual. Such high rates of disposal can be linked to our high spending power, as well as the constant invents of new technologies and products (Towards Zero Waste, 2020). Indeed, experts have cautioned that the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks could spell the demise of 4G gadgets and lead to mass disposal.

While the replacement of electronic products is not wrong as most products can be refurbished, repaired or recycled, the problem arises when unwanted electronic products are discarded – as in most cases of Singapore. This is because e-waste contains harmful substances such as cadmium and lead which pose as a threat to our health and the environment when disposed at landfills or when incinerated (Towards Zero Waste, 2020). (See our previous post for a detailed explanation).

Teh (2019) notes from a survey of 347 youths aged 18 to 25 that only one in 10 young Singaporeans recycle their e-waste. Of those who attempt to recycle, 34.1% do it wrongly. This is a concerning trend that should be reversed, especially in a land-scarce Singapore. As articulated by the then-Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, “We should recycle right, and save and extend the lifespan of Semakau by putting just a little bit into the landfill. Semakau is a very expensive resource, and if we need to build a new Semakau, that will cost us billions of dollars,”. More than environmental considerations, there are also economic implications for tiny Singapore when a large number of wastes, including e-waste, are constantly generated. Hence, there is a strong and urgent need to improve our waste reduction and recycling efforts.

Check back in next week to find out what we can do or have done to mitigate this issue in our next post!

 

References:

Choo, C. (2019 September 3). Trash Talk: A toxic trash pile grows when gadgets become waste — in a year or less. TODAYONLINE. https://www.todayonline.com/features/trash-talk-gadgets-designed-become-waste-year-or-less-toxic-trash-pile-grows

NEA. (2018, March 6). NEA To Implement E-waste Management System For Singapore By 2021. https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/nea-to-implement-e-waste-management-system-for-singapore-by-2021

Teh, C. (2019, March 4). Only one in 10 young Singaporeans recycles electronic waste: Survey https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/only-one-in-10-young-singaporeans-recycle-electronic-waste-survey

Towards Zero Waste. (2020 September 15). Electronic Waste. https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/ewaste/#:~:text=Singapore%20generates%20about%2060%2C000%20tonnes,technologies%20constantly%20replacing%20old%20ones.

Pollution from E-wastes : The Big Picture

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What is E-waste?

E-waste refers to all types of waste containing electrically powered components. It is short for e-Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (Josh, 2015). The term is often used to describe electronic products that are unwanted, not working, and nearing or at the end of their “useful life.” Common electric products include computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines (Great Lakes Electronics Corporation, n.d.).

What are the types of E-waste?

Given the presence of a large number of e-wastes, there have been efforts in categorising e-wastes to facilitate disposal. The below highlights the types of e-waste, as well as examples.

  1. ICT and Telecommunications Equipment: laptops, PCs, telephones, mobile phones
  2. Office Electronics: calculators, photocopying equipment, electrical and electronic typewriters, telephones and fax machines
  3. Large Household Appliances: refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, air conditioner appliances
  4. Small Household Appliances: vacuum cleaners, irons, blenders, fryers
  5. Consumer Equipment: video and audio equipment, musical instruments
  6. Medical Equipment: all medical equipment with the exception of implants
  7. Toys leisure and sports equipment: electronic toys, models, sports equipment
  8. Monitoring devices: detectors, thermostats, laboratory equipment

Adapted from (Paul’s Rubbish, 2018; Marius Pedersen, n.d.)

Of course, these types and examples are non-exhaustive especially when new technology is constantly being invented. But given some ideas of what e-wastes are, check back in next week to read our post on how e-wastes causes environmental pollution!

 

References:

Great Lakes Electronics Corporation. (n.d.). What is E-waste? Definition and Why It’s Important. https://www.ewaste1.com/what-is-e-waste/

Josh, J. (2015, August 27). Types of e – Waste. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/types-of-e-waste-1440681505-1

Marius Pedersen. (n.d.). E-waste collection and transport. https://www.mariuspedersen.cz/en/about-marius-pedersen/services/58.shtml

Paul’s Rubbish. (2018, July 23). 7 Types of E-Waste. https://www.paulsrubbish.com.au/7-types-e-waste/

Pollution from Domestic Cleaning Agents : Environmental Impacts

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Welcome back to our blog! Having understood what constitutes domestic cleaning agents and the chemicals commonly associated with them, we will be sharing more about how toxins in domestic cleaning agents harm the environment in this post.

Recall, nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonia and VOCs are present in domestic cleaning agents.

Aquatic pollution

When domestic cleaning agents are used, they are often rinsed down drains or flushed down toilets after the cleaning process. As these cleaning liquids head to the sewage, the nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia present in them go down together. While it can be argued that wastewater is treated before being discharged to open water bodies, these three chemicals are NOT removed by the waste treatment process. This is very concerning as nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia are dangerous water contaminants in large quantities (Davis, n.d.).

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)

The most prominent consequence of nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia being washed into water bodies is eutrophication. Excess nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia over-enrich the aquatic ecosystem with nutrients (Carpenter, 2005), thereby resulting in Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). The occurrence of HAB poses a threat to the aquatic ecosystem as it causes oxygen depletion of surface waters, leading to massive fish kills. The release of toxins by algal death further pollutes the water and render it useless.

 

Air pollution

The emission of VOCs through the use of domestic cleaning agents pose a risk to human health as exposure to VOCs could lead to carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, teratogenicity, as well as the irritation of the eyes and nose (Ciccioli, 1993). This is especially concerning given that these VOCs is likely to concentrate within the household environment due to poor or inadequate ventilation. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found that there are 3 to 5 times more common organic pollutants inside homes than outside (EPA, 2019).

In addition to human health, VOCs pose a risk to environmental health as well. VOCs are precursors to photochemical smog. When VOCs are mixed with nitrogen oxides (NOx ) and irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) light, a complex chain of reactions converts them into products generally indicated as photochemical pollutants (Ciccioli, 1993), creating a brown haze above places referred to as ‘smog’. Here is a chart to visualise the formation of smog (EPA, 2004):

The way forward

Given that the use of domestic cleaning agents poses a variety of environmental problems, there is a need for us to search for alternatives or employ ways to mitigate these problems. More on mitigation will be discussed in our next post!

 

References:

 

Carpenter, S. R. (2005). Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems: Bistability and soil phosphorus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0503959102

Ciccioli P. (1993) VOCs and air pollution. In: Bloemen H.J.T., Burn J. (eds) Chemistry and Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1007/978-94-011-2152-1_3

Davis, J. (n.d.). How Does Household Cleaner Affect the Environment? https://homeguides.sfgate.com/household-cleaner-affect-environment-79335.html

EPA. (2019, August 1). What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs)? https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs

EPA. (2004, March). Photochemical smog: What it means for us. https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/files/8238_info_photosmog.pdf

[Mitigation] Pollution from Beauty Products : Sustainable Beauty Routine

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Having followed our posts over the past week, ‘lowkey‘ conscious of the various beauty products you have been using? I hope you are not actively trying to avoid dolling yourself up just because of what we mentioned because… There are ways to look pretty and be environmental-friendly at the same time! You can do so by establishing a sustainable beauty routine.

But what is sustainable beauty? Sustainable beauty is about adopting eco-friendly choices and purchases for our beauty routines. As such, you should look towards supporting ethical and sustainable beauty brands who that pride themselves in sustainable products. With increased environmental consciousness, many beauty brands have taken an increased interest to be more environmentally friendly (if they are not already). Some brands that you can explore to turn your beauty routine into one that is eco-friendly and sustainable include MAC, L’Occitane, Kiehl’s, Aveda, The Body Shop, Innisfree, Armani Beauty, Clarins, and Burt’s Bees (Ghura, 2020) – stay pretty while helping Mother Earth stay healthy!

 

In addition to beauty care products, you could also ‘green’ your beauty routine through the use of reusable items such as reusable cotton pads, makeup remover pads, and cotton swabs. This way, you will avoid throwing out tons of single-use cotton rounds which contributes to environmental pollution. Remember: it takes a lot of water to grow cotton, and even more to turn them into usable products. The reusable options are not only eco-friendly, but it can help you save a bunch of money too (Balsamo, 2020)!

Of course, we do not just stop at purchasing sustainable products. It is a routine sooo, it is an enduring process of being eco-friendly.

What do you do with your empty product containers? Throw it out in the bin? Hold up! Instead of trashing it out in a domestic waste bin, recycle it. Many beauty brands have been actively encouraging container recycling by providing customers with incentives. For instance, at Innisfree’s Play Green Campaign, customers can recycle their used bottles at stores and get rewarded. To date, between 2003 and 2015, a total of 12,524,850 empty bottles have been recycled in Innisfree Korea. Similarly, M.A.C’s Back-2-M.A.C take back program encourages customers to return six empty makeup containers and get a new product in return. The empty containers are then recycled or converted to energy, reducing the amount of packaging that ends up in the landfill.

But what happens in the unfortunate event where your newly bought beauty product is not to your liking and you can’t recycle it since its pretty much unused? Anything but throwing it out. You could consider gifting it away to friend and family, or even donate it! I’m sure most people would not mind receiving a barely used product. This way, not only does it reduce purchases by others, but it would also prevent the products from being wasted.

So, what are you waiting for? Join me on having a sustainable beauty routine today!

 

 

References:

Balsamo, L. (2020, October 21). 9 Best Reusable Cotton Rounds to Replace Your Single-Use Wipes. Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/g34329071/best-reusable-cotton-rounds/

Ghura, P. (2020, July 6). How to build a sustainable beauty routine. https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/beauty-wellness/beauty/sustainable-beauty-routine-guide/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pollution from Beauty Products : Hairsprays

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Following makeup, skincare, and even body care products, you may be wondering what other beauty products are you going to talk about today. Well, its haircare products! Specifically, how the use of hairsprays contributes to indoor air pollution.

 

 

Hairsprays

For the stylists, hairsprays are arguably indispensable because it not only allows you to keep your nicely styled hair in place all day, it can also help with taming your frizz, add volume to your hair and so on (Petal Fresh, 2019). Given its usefulness, hairsprays are widely used.

Yet, the myriad chemicals present in your little handy spray bottle constitutes chemicals that are not environmentally friendly. For instance, propellants are included since hairsprays are often supplied in an aerosol container. The chemicals used to make propellants include Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (Matthews, n.d.) – which plays a significant role in the formation of smog (Environmental Protection Department, 2019). Therefore, every time we do a spray, we are also releasing polluting chemicals.

As hairsprays are mostly used indoors in households or studios, it contributes to indoor air pollution especially with poor or inadequate ventilation as pollutants can accumulate to harmful levels (EPA, 2020).

 

Indoor Air Pollution

Wait, what?! There is pollution indoors? Yes, in fact, the average home can be up to five times more polluted than the outdoors (Greer, 2019). Despite so, the awareness on it is low since it is less visible to the human eye. However, what you can’t see doesn’t mean it is not there. Its presence needs to be identified and mitigated. This is because indoor air pollution can have adverse health impacts on dwellers.

Exposure to pollutants can lead to immediate effects such as the irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Persons with pre-existing respiratory problems may also be triggered such as asthma. Other health effects such as respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer could also be the result of long-term exposure to pollutants (EPA, 2020).

Find out more about indoor air pollution here.

So, what now?

Quickly open up your windows and doors to increase the ventilation of your space!

 

References:

Environmental Protection Agency. (2020, August 14). Introduction to Indoor Air Quality. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality

Environmental Protection Department. (2019, May 2). Volatile Organic Compounds and Smog. https://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/vocs_smog.html#point_2

Greer, M. (2019, February 7). 11 Sneaky Causes of Indoor Air Pollution. https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/causes-indoor-air-pollution/

Matthews, M. (n.d.) What Is Harmful to the Environment That Is Found in Hairsprays? https://homeguides.sfgate.com/harmful-environment-found-hairsprays-78516.html

Petal Fresh. (2019, April 26). Benefits of Using a Hairspray to Style Your Hair https://petalfresh.com/benefits-of-using-a-hairspray-to-style-your-hair/

 

Pollution from Beauty Products : Sponges

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What do you do when you spot a new pimple on your pretty face? If your first instinct is to reach out concealers, we are on our way to becoming makeup besties. For makeup-lovers (me too!), we tend to purchase tons of products from foundation, concealer, setting powder, bronzing kit to eyeshadow palettes, mascaras, lipsticks … well, you name it … because more is more right? However, as we doll ourselves up, we tend to forget that our Mother Earth needs some doll up too! In fact, we are possibly adding more pimples to Mama Earth by polluting the environment, oh no.

While the large amount of fancy packaging involved with makeup products contribute to plastic pollution, there is another thing that exacerbates the pollution problem in our use of makeup — makeup sponges. Yes, those little softies that help us paint our faces with precision.  While it may seem bizarre that makeup sponges contribute to pollution, I assure you it isn’t.

Just look at the lifecycle of the widely-popular and well-loved beautyblender:

The advent of the beautyblender makeup sponge revolutionized the makeup industry and disrupted traditional ways of applying makeup (Lee, 2019). A widely sought after product, this little egg-shaped sponge has quickly earned a spot in the makeup bag of millions with sales hitting $150 million in 2018 alone (“Beautyblender Redefines Consumer Cosmetics Market”, n.d.).

However, the beautyblender, while small, have a (big) negative impact on the environment:

The use of beautyblenders contributes to a growing mass of garbage in landfills given its non-biodegradable nature (CtNkingsNGds, 2016). Although it is a reusable sponge, there is designated shelf life of 3 months (beautyblender, n.d.), following so, a replacement is needed (Lee, 2019). As such, with millions of users throwing out their beautyblenders every quarter, the issue of land pollution is undoubtedly worsened.

Moreover, beautyblenders are made with materials derived from fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals which emit harmful greenhouse gases (Lee, 2019). The mass production of beautyblenders thus contributes to atmospheric pollution as harmful greenhouse gases are released.

So, does this mean we shouldn’t use makeup sponges now? Sobs…

Not really! Because we can always search for eco-friendly alternatives to minimise our damage to the environment while staying pretty.

An eco-friendly recommendation:

  • Sponges designed with EcoFoam® Technology made of 70% plant-based materials by EcoTools

 

References:

Beautyblender. (n.d.). Embrace Sustainable Makeup And Recycle Your Beautyblender https://beautyblender.com/blogs/beauty-101/sustainable-makeup-recycle-your-beautyblender

“Beautyblender Redefines Consumer Cosmetics Market”. (n.d.). https://www.netsuite.com/portal/customer-testimonials/beauty-blender-beauty.shtml

CtNkingsNGds. (2016). More environmentally friendly [comment].

https://ecotools.com/product/color-perfecting-minis/

Lee, N. (2019, December 4). Raw Materials in the Production of a Beautyblender®. Design Life-Cycle. http://www.designlife-cycle.com/beautyblender

Pollution from Beauty Products : Glitter

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Having understood the undesirable impacts of the use of microbeads in our previous post, we will be introducing another item that is often found in beauty products that brings harm to our environment – glitter.
While glitter is seemingly harmless bits of holographic materials that are widely used to glam up makeup, their very existence in minute sizes are what amplify their impacts on the environment.

Glitter can be found in an array of beauty products like face creams, body lotions and washes. They are especially prevalent in makeup products such as eyeshadow, eyeliner, highlighting powder, lipstick, lip gloss, glitter sprays and even facial masks. Yet, this prevalence is not good news for our environment!
Glitter is also a form of microplastic (Defino, 2019) – yes, like microbeads – and thus, our use of it contributes to microplastic pollution as well. Recall the negative environmental impacts of microplastics as they enter waterways because they are too small to be filtered out in water treatment plants, or through sludge (Defino, 2019).
While some may suggest removing glitter with oil and a cotton pad instead of washing it with water, it does not solve the environmental problem. The disposed of glitter-filled cotton pads will end up in landfills. And as these microplastics are non-biodegradable, it pollutes the land – and even soil and water when leakages occur (Defino, 2019).
As such, while glitter has been widely marketed as festival essentials, for the sake of our beloved environment, let’s try to refrain from it! Let’s drop the glitter this festive season, we can start by dropping the glitter from your makeup.
However, if you absolutely cannot live without glitter, look towards eco-friendly alternatives such as those produced from non-GMO, Forest Stewardship Council certified, sustainable sources that are biodegradable (Defino, 2019). For instance, glitter from Glitter Revolution and Bioglitter are made from plant cellulose, an environmentally safe alternative as it is biodegradable (Schmidt, 2017).
Let’s work towards eliminating plastic glitter, just like how we did it for microbeads!
References:
Defino, J. (2019, April 3). IT MAY BE TIME TO RECONSIDER ALL THAT GLITTER IN YOUR BEAUTY PRODUCTS. Fashionista. https://fashionista.com/2019/04/glitter-beauty-products-environmental-harm-microplastics
Schmidt, A. (2017, June 29). The Truth About How Glitter Really Affects the Environment. Allure. https://www.allure.com/story/glitter-makeup-environmental-effects