Shopping sustainably can be a minefield! More and more companies are jumping on the eco bandwagon, marketing their glitter as biodegradable when this may not be the case. So how do you know you’re getting the genuine article? We’ve made this handy guide to make it easy for you!
Firstly, let’s have a quick recap. EcoStardust is a licensed reseller of Bioglitter®, which is the only glitter in the world that is truly biodegradable. It’s made of plant cellulose predominately sourced from eucalyptus trees, and it’s independently tested and proven to biodegrade in all natural environments (including your own home compost bin!)
But there are many suppliers out there with great reviews, great followings, and seemingly great credentials, so how do you tell the greenwashing from the real thing, and what are the things to watch out for?
The Official Bioglitter Certificiation
Any glitter with this logo gets our stamp of approval! Stockists of genuine Bioglitter® are allowed to proudly display this logo on their website and packaging. This makes it clear to the customer that they are buying a truly biodegradable glitter.
This logo is a registered trademark and can only be used with express permission, so only select companies that stock genuine Bioglitter® can display this stamp.
Be cautious of companies who are advertising eco-friendly glitter without this logo as they may be greenwashing and misleading their customers.
What does 'biodegradable' really mean?
Some companies can be very crafty with the language they use to sell their glitter, and one of the things we see regularly is the use of the word ‘biodegradable’. Technically their glitter may break down in the environment, but not in the way you might expect.
For something to be labelled as biodegradable, that simply means that it will break down in the environment at some point. And yep, you guessed it, that point could technically be in 500 years.
Some plastic carrier bags are even labelled as biodegradable, but if they are discarded they will be hanging around in landfill for a very very long time.
If a glitter is listed as ASTM D6400/6868 certified this means that the company can technically describe it as compostable, but it will not break down in your back garden. This certification simply means that the product is onlyindustrially compostable, which requires additional chemicals, heat, and resources. Unfortunately, it means the product is essentially plastic!
Genuine biodegradable Bioglitter® breaks down easily and quickly within 4-5 weeks, into usable compost.
Independent testing
Finally, it’s important to check out their testing policy. If they mention that their products are tested for biodegradability but do not specify that it is has been independentlytested, this means that their testing has been done in-house and may be biased.
If their product has been independently tested, look for the report. It should be on their website. Look at length of time for biodegradation, and composition of the product (the vast majority of the product should be of natural origin). If their report is not available you may have to ask for it, but be wary of companies without the Bioglitter® certification who do not make their own reports readily accessible.
Oh and lastly if they don’t have any accessible details on their testing procedure and don't want to hand them out, run the other way!
Bioglitter is independently tested by OWS Belgium to ISO14851/2 Fresh Water Biodegradability, which we think is pretty amazing. Freshwater is the hardest environment for something to biodegrade in due to the cool temperature and low levels of microorganisms, but Bioglitter can do it!
We hope this helps you to #GlitterWithoutTheLitter, and if you have some non-Bioglitter hanging around you can send it our way for 15% off your next order! To check out our non-Bioglitter amnesty click here.
