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There was a headmistress not long ago that banned the use of glitter in her school.
Glitter is dreadful for the environment. It gets into the water courses. The tiny shiny bits do look lovely but is a disaster for wildlife, fish life and ultimately us.
I've noticed face painters use it on children's faces, which eventually get washed off, down the plughole, ending up goodness knows where.
It won't be long be people are buying the stuff for Xmas decorations and cards.
Please have a think and dissuade the pupils and yourselves from buying the glitter.
I do understand why people are up in arms about it (kind of), but surely the amount that actually ends up in any watercourse is so minuscule that it can’t be that earth shattering.
I’d imagine that 90% if it ends up stuck to a piece of paper, put on the fridge then fed to landfill with all the other rubbish.
I’m probably wrong but in my world there are 101 other things I’d be more inclined to get worked up about.
The Devil's Dandruff
I’m probably wrong but in my world there are 101 other things I’d be more inclined to get worked up about.
This.
It's possible to make positive changes without getting "worked up", especially if there is zero downside.
Plastic pollution from glitter will be way down the line compared to packaging and other plastic uses.
Probably more of it gets into watercourses from folk adding it to their Stans and then having punctures on the trails..... 😀
so because it's a smaller problem than something else we shouldn't do anything about it?
Doesn't seem an impossible request for other teachers to consider, hardly takes any effort to not use glitter.
so because it’s a smaller problem than something else we shouldn’t do anything about it?
No, because there are many other more serious issues to tackle before we get to glitter. I bet schools produce for more other pollutions than a bit of sparkle.
You can't polish a turd.
And now you can't even roll it in glitter.
Whilst I accept that it might not be a good idea to allow micro plastics to accumulate in the environment, is there any evidence that micro plastics are harmful (to humans) ?
Earlier this month, the UK outlawed microbeads in makeup and personal care products, including the type of glitter used in some rinse-off cosmetics. A similar ban in the US in 2015 applied only to exfoliants. But surely even the UK ban leaves a lot of sparkle that could find its way into the sea (and our scampi)? For Dr Richard Thompson, a marine biologist at the University of Plymouth who led a research project in 2016 that found microplastic in a third of UK-caught fish, when it comes to glitter, there’s cause for “concern rather than alarm”.
While it is important to reduce any emissions of plastic into our environment, he says, “it’s about getting these things in perspective”. Glitter probably represents only a tiny proportion of the plastic waste entering our environment compared with, say, the amount of food and drink packaging left on beaches.
“If it’s being used in a rinse-off product, then you think: why does it need to be there?” Thompson says. “If it’s being glued on to a greeting card, I’m less worried about it.” That your glittery Christmas card is causing no immediate risk to mackerel won’t make the task of hoovering its flecks out of your carpet more fun, but it is something.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jan/21/losing-its-sparkle-the-dark-side-of-glitter
No, because there are many other more serious issues to tackle before we get to glitter.
No but it would probably take about 7s to sort out though, we should stop this? Yeah. Ok lets stop using it.
Someone on a R4 comedy had a great joke about spending all the time sorting out their recycling only for their kids to claim it all, make something out of it and it ends up in the bin. 🙁
See above.
I’m pretty sure the festival I was at a few weekends ago mentioned something about their face-painters (there is muchos face-painting at family friendly festivals) all now using bio-degradable glitter. It’s nice that a small change can be made leaving miseries to worry about the bigger stuff.
I'm guessing that Coachella hasn't made it to Northumberland yet. Or maybe Drac just doesn't get invited to those sorts of parties.
Yeah being in the wilds of Northumberland I've never seen glitter or maybe read what I quoted above.
"Whilst I accept that it might not be a good idea to allow micro plastics to accumulate in the environment, is there any evidence that micro plastics are harmful (to humans) ?"
Remember school and that day you did food webs and learned about interdependence and competing food sources.
Anyway I'm now concerned about my throw away contact lenses. After reading and article on the number that end up out there.
Believe me, glitter is the least of your worries in most schools. They are generally shit environment-wise.
At the last school I worked at there was no plastic recycling/separation, food waste from the kitchens went straight into mixed waste bins along with loads of single use plastic cutlery, plastic plates, and styrofoam trays. I discovered after 2 years that even though we had paper recycling boxes in the classrooms the site staff just emptied them into the general bins when they were full.
Don't get me started on the amount of electricity wasted due to whole rooms of computers being left turned on permanently and lights all over buildings on all day and night.
I spent my whole time going round turning stuff off and trying to get the school to think about recycling some of its waste. Deaf ears mostly.
'Remember school and that day you did food webs and learned about interdependence and competing food sources.'
Yup, very clearly indeed.
Rather than some kind of allusion to my ignorance can you cite or provide any evidence that demonstrates the harmfulness of microplastics?
'Believe me, glitter is the least of your worries in most schools. They are generally shit environment-wise.'
That's a pretty sweeping statement.
There's a really good documentary, plastic oceans. It was on Netflix I think.
From what I remember, chemicals and toxins attach themselves to the microplastics, so when ingested by small creatures, they also take in those toxins. Get to the animals at the top of the food chain, those toxins are multiplied due to eating many other smaller creatures. I am no scientist, so probably missing details.
Surely if we can make small changes like not using glitter, it's better than not making any?
You're losing this one Drac.
It might be a small problem but its an easy fix that won't take time or resources away from the big problems so why not do it?
Unless you're worried about what you'll put on your eyelids for a night out?
I’m probably wrong but in my world there are 101 other things I’d be more inclined to get worked up about.
Yep, considering the scores of environmental issues that are more important to tackle, I suspect this has more to do with glitter being annoying than anything else. I guess every little helps, but there are plenty more valuable targets that would have a bigger impact.
Unless you’re worried about what you’ll put on your eyelids for a night out?
No why?
Also, consider the learning opportunity. Not just food webs but also the important idea that there are things everyone can do to help the environment.
The 'there are bigger problems' argument is a manifesto for inaction. How big a problem does it need to be before it's worth tackling?
But no there is, at present, no direct link between harm in humans and microplastics. Not "there is no link" but just no rigorous scientific studies have taken place.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30121-3/fulltext
I've banned it in our house. Which actually means the "craft" box is now in the shed and Little J is glittering up the shed interior! The window sills look particularly good .When it's gone, it's gone.
I’ve banned it in our house. Which actually means the “craft” box is now in the shed and Little J is glittering up the shed interior! The window sills look particularly good .When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Because of the environmental impact, or because it's annoying? 🙂
Why me in fifteen years of teaching I havent used glitter yet?
drac
noun: finely distilled whataboutery in its purest breathing form.
Examples: I almost made a small difference, but then a drac came along and made it painful and complex.
Could you please direct me to your list of all of the problems in the world in the correct order in case we inadvertently solve a simple small one before dealing with all the others?
Asking for a friend, Thanks 🙂
Odd you seem to be highlighting me on this but others have pointed it out too.
My son worked as a school cleaner for a couple of years.
He would have happily seen a ban on glitter in schools as it's such a pain to hoover out of carpets.
Glitter is the herpes of the arts and crafts world.
@ angeldust - because of the environmental issues.
drac, not that odd, I skim read the thread and you stood out.
I agree my comment could apply to others.
Maybe you should all get together and work on the list of problems?
You could organise a convention .. maybe call it "What'a bout'a Con", I'm sure you'd all find common ground.
Of course there might be more important things to do first, so I guess everyone will just have to do nothing in the interim.
Perfect.
Marginal gains, innit? If everyone had the OP's attitude we might see a bit improvement in all plastic waste in the environment.
there are plenty more valuable targets that would have a bigger impact
For sure - but could you suggest some that a teacher could readily accomplish with no extra resource requirement and minimal impact on their teaching activity (possibly positive if it's turned into a learning activity on the food chain / environment, etc.)?
You don't want Glitter anywhere near your kids.
Come on! 39 posts 😜
You don’t want Glitter anywhere near your kids.
There's a reason that's not funny.
Do you know what it is yet?
Of course there are huge problems in schools (dealing with knife crime for one).
However glitter is usually used by young children and if it is instilled into them at an early age that something as unimportant as glitter can help with keeping their environment clean, then we can start dealing with the bigger things.
Start small and work your way up.
I despair about people throwing their litter out of car windows (I've nearly come to blows while honking my horn at a group of lads throwing their crisp packets and other wrappers out). There is nothing I can do about this behaviour. If today by bringing this up, if just one person stops using glitter then its a start.
Many people put their vacuum bag contents onto the compost heap, but this is no good if it contains stuff such as glitter. We use our compost heap contents on the veg plot.
I thought the headteacher made a good call and I'm sticking by her.
Of course there are huge problems in schools (dealing with knife crime for one).
Yeah I wasn't really thinking about knife crime but I can add it to the list.
In your job Drac if the patient that is having a heart attack, started earlier in life with simple things such as taking a bit of exercise and cutting out the chips, then you may not be carting them off to hospital.
In your job Drac if the patient that is having a heart attack, started earlier in life with simple things such as taking a bit of exercise and cutting out the chips, then you may not be carting them off to hospital.
Clutching at straws there a bit, reuseable ones hopefully.