Let's talk Cellulose! The main ingredient in our Bioglitter®

The main ingredient in Bioglitter® (the type of Biodegradable Glitter that we sell) is Modified Regenerated Cellulose, this is used as the base film instead of Polyester.

What is cellulose?

Cellulose is is an organic compound and the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. It is found within plant walls and is what helps keep plants "stiff".

What types of Cellulose are there?

Micro-crystalline Cellulose – is a white powder product, a refined form of cellulose usually made from wood pulp.

Celluloid is generally considered the first synthetic thermoplastic, becoming commercially available in the 1860’s. It was the first picture or photographic film, however, it was found to be highly flammable and as a result very dangerous.

Cellulose Acetate or Cellulose Triacetate is also more commonly known as Acetate. It was developed as a safer alternative to Celluloid and became commercially available in the 1920’s. Cellulose Acetate is industrial and home compostable, BUT, it does not biodegrade in the natural environment.

Regenerated Cellulose or Cellophane was Introduced in the 1930s as a transparent film used in food wraps and candy wraps. In the US and some other countries “Cellophane” has become a generic term, and is often used informally to refer to a wide variety of plastic film products, even those not made of cellulose, such as plastic wrap. When put to the test it was found that this form of cellulose film had very poor biodegradability performance. It does not pass recognised biodegradability standards, not even industrial composting standards EN13432 and ASTM D6400, the least challenging of conditions for biodegradability.

What is the cellulose in Bioglitter?

Developed in the 2000's and completely unique to Bioglitter®. It is a high tech and modern version of traditional regenerated. Natural cellulose is extracted from wood pulp, the preferred type being eucalyptus and then the cellulose is regenerated into a clear film. Specifically developed and designed to biodegrade in natural environments. It is manufactured from sustainable resources PEFC, it is not a thermoplastic and it biodegrades extremely well;

Certifications include:

• Certified industrial compostable (EN13432, EN14995, ASTM D6400, ISO 17088) certified home compostable (OK Compost Home)
• Waste Water biodegradation approved to ISO15986
• Marine biodegradation approved to ASTM D6691-09

All of this is another reminder of why it is so important to only purchase your biodegradable glitter from trusted sellers with the Bioglitter® logo on their website and packaging. It is the only way to know you are getting truly biodegradable glitter.