The University of Cambridge has developed a glitter made from novel cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), extracted from biological sources including cotton, and does not require aluminium or plastic layers.
- The University’s Professor, Silvia Vignolini, along with team are now in the process of creating a range of cellulose-based glitters, sequins and films which contain no mica, titania or plastics and are entirely biodegradable.
THE RESEARCH: Unlike traditional non-recyclable plastic glitter, organic glitter made from cellulose is not toxic to living organisms, said the research paper published in the scientific journal Chemosphere.
- The CNC glitter did not impact the springtail’s survival or size. There was no toxic effect on springtail reproduction at any concentration of the CNC glitter.
- However, once the concentrations of conventional PET glitter in the soil reached 1000 mg glitter/kg of soil, the reproduction of the springtails was reduced by 61 per cent.
BIODEGRADABLE: While biodegradable glitter is already commercially available, previous research indicates these products could be just as harmful or even more toxic to aquatic organisms than conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) glitter, as most biodegradable varieties on the market need to be coated in a coloured aluminium layer and topped with a thin plastic layer.
- CNC glitter has potential as a biodegradable non-plastic alternative to decrease detrimental effects on soil ecosystems, which is a win for the environment and consumers.
TESTING: To determine whether their CNC glitter is more eco-friendly than conventional PET glitter, the University of Cambridge teamed up with researchers from the University of Melbourne to investigate and compare the levels of toxicity of both materials in terrestrial environments.
- After collecting soil from the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus in northern Victoria, an experiment was conducted by Melbourne researchers where different concentrations of both glitters were tested on a type of soil critter called a springtail.
- The findings revealed CNC glitter had no impact on springtails; however, PET glitter severely impacted the organism’s fertility.
- Springtails are an indicator of soil quality. Conventional PET glitter affected their ability to reproduce. Fewer springtails being born can weaken their population, which might lead to bigger problems for soil health, like less organic matter breaking down and fewer nutrients being released for plants.
THE CONTEXT: Glitter, used by the fashion and several other industries, is a major pollutant, with the microplastics commonly found in sewage sludge and wastewater.
RESEARCH TEAM: Founder Professor Silvia Vignolini, University of Cambridge; Associate Professor Suzie Reichman, Research Lead, and PhD student Po-Hao (Paul) Chen from University of Melbourne.
WHAT THEY SAID:
There is limited research literature on the ecotoxicity of PET glitter, with only a few published studies focusing on aquatic organisms. Our research has shown that CNC glitter has potential as a biodegradable non-plastic alternative to decrease detrimental effects on soil ecosystems, which is a win for the environment and consumers.
— Silvia Vignolini
Founder Professor
University of Cambridge
