Did you know that there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and 92.4% of that is glitter pieces? Glitter is made up of microplastics, and those microplastics are made of mylar. Glitter absorbs chemicals and pollutants while in the water, making it even more toxic to animals. Sea creatures are not only mistaking glitter for food, but are also absorbing the toxic chemicals from the glitter because it is so tiny, which is damaging their livers. 100,000 marine animals die every year as a result of plastic pollution. 

So, how does glitter even end up in oceans? There are multiple ways this could happen. First, when you have glitter on your clothing, you will wash it in the washing machine, and tiny bits of glitter will fall out. Then that glitter will end up in the sewage system, which will sooner or later go into the ocean. Another way is that glitter could be in a craft and go on your hands, or you put on glitter makeup on your face. You would then wash it off, causing the glitter again, to go into the sewage system only to end up in the ocean. 

How is glitter bad for the environment? One reason is wastewater treatment plants do not filter the glitter out because it's too tiny.  So, they end up in our waters. Another problem with glitter, is that when it ends up in the waters, marine animals either eat or absorb the glitter. Then, when humans eat marine animals, glitter is in our food.

 But… if we have glitter banned, then fewer factories would be making glitter, not as much plastic would be made and going into the ocean, fewer animals would be dying, and most importantly, we would be having a cleaner, healthier planet.