Is Glitter a Microplastic? Cards, Wrap, Crafts and Makeup

What is glitter made of?

Conventional glitter starts as a sheet. Anglia Ruskin University’s description of the traditional kind is a core of polyester (PET) film coated with aluminium for shine and covered with a thin plastic layer (ARU, 2020). The sheet is cut into hexagons, squares or stars, often well under a millimetre across. A 2026 review of glitter toxicity adds that glitter can also be made from polyvinyl chloride, with metallic coatings and a wide range of additives for colour (Futia et al., 2026).

That layered build matters. A speck of glitter is plastic, metal and dye bonded together, which makes it nearly impossible to recycle and slow to break down. It also makes glitter distinctive under a microscope: forensic scientists have long used it as trace evidence, and researchers have argued it is an overlooked category in microplastic surveys that could help trace pollution to its source (Tagg and Ivar do Sul, 2019).

Is glitter a microplastic? What the definitions say

By the EU’s legal definition, plastic glitter is squarely in. The 2023 restriction covers “all synthetic polymer particles below five millimetres that are organic, insoluble and resist degradation,” and the Commission named glitter as an example (European Commission, 2023). Scientists call particles like this primary microplastics, because they are made small, unlike the fragments that come off a bottle or a tyre. Microbeads in old face scrubs are the other well-known example.

Glitter made from glass, metal or a natural mineral such as mica is not a plastic, so it falls outside the definition. So does glitter that genuinely biodegrades or dissolves. That is why the material matters more than the word “glitter” on the package.

What the EU glitter ban actually covers

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 amended the REACH chemicals law to restrict intentionally added microplastics. The Commission says it will prevent the release of about half a million tonnes of them (press release, 25 September 2023). Loose glitter and microbeads were among the first measures. The Commission’s guidance page sets out the glitter details (European Commission):

• Banned from 17 October 2023: loose plastic glitter that is not biodegradable or soluble, sold for uses with no transition period, such as arts and crafts and toys.
• Out of scope: glitter that is biodegradable, soluble, natural or inorganic (glass, metal); glitter affixed to the surface of articles; glitter contained by technical means or permanently set in a solid matrix, such as glitter glue, paints and certain inks; sequins and beads meant to be sewn or threaded.
• Cosmetics get time: rinse-off products until 16 October 2027, leave-on products until 16 October 2029, and makeup, lip and nail products until 16 October 2035. From 17 October 2031, those must carry a label saying they contain microplastics.
• Old stock is allowed: products placed on the market before 17 October 2023 do not have to be withdrawn.

So the “glitter ban” removed tubs of craft glitter from EU shelves. Glitter cards, sparkly wrapping paper and baubles are still legal there. Our EU microplastics ban guide covers the rest of the restriction.

In the US, the federal Microbead-Free Waters Act defines a plastic microbead as a solid plastic particle of 5 mm or less “intended to be used to exfoliate or cleanse” (FDA). Glitter added for colour or sparkle is not intended to exfoliate, so the law does not reach it.

Is biodegradable glitter actually better?

Better in one way, unproven in another. The best-known test is from Dannielle Green and colleagues at Anglia Ruskin University (Green et al., 2021). They built semi-natural freshwater stream habitats outdoors and added one of four glitters: conventional PET, modified regenerated cellulose (MRC), natural mica or synthetic mica. After 36 days:

• The overall community of animals and plants did not change in structure or diversity with any glitter.
• Every glitter type, not only PET, significantly reduced the root length of common duckweed and the amount of phytoplankton (measured as chlorophyll in the water). The university’s summary describes roots about halved and chlorophyll about three times lower than controls (ARU).
• MRC glitter doubled the number of New Zealand mud snails, an invasive species.
• Synthetic mica raised algal growth on the sediment.

Two caveats keep this in proportion. The MRC glitter tested still had an aluminium layer and a plastic topcoat, according to the university, and the authors suspected chemicals leaching from coatings rather than the cellulose itself. Coverage of the study also noted it used high concentrations over a short period, and called for tests at lower doses over longer times. A 2026 review of 15 glitter toxicity studies reached a similar point: effects depend on size, shape, colour, polymer and additives, leachates often hit harder than intact particles, and the evidence on biodegradable glitter is thin (Futia et al., 2026).

Formulations vary by brand. Bioglitter, one widely sold cellulose glitter, describes a plant-cellulose film with a coating, says its craft lines are “100% plastic-free” and its cosmetic lines over 99%, and says it carries TÜV Austria’s “OK biodegradable WATER” certification. It also says breakdown speed depends on local conditions and that the glitter stays stable without microorganisms. Those are maker claims, and the Green study did not say which brand of cellulose glitter it used. A fair reading: cellulose glitter leaves less persistent plastic behind, but it is still a coated, glittery particle released into water, and “biodegradable” on a jar is not evidence that it is harmless to river life.

What “eco glitter” labels mean

The words on a jar of alternative glitter describe different things, and none of them is a toxicity result. Shoppers rarely check anyway: in a 2026 online survey of 610 people, 59.3% recognised conventional glitter as a microplastic, yet 90.2% of those who gave a classifiable answer said they did not check what glitter was made of before buying (Futia et al., 2026). Here is what to look for.

• “Biodegradable” means it broke down under a stated test, such as in fresh water or soil over a set time. Look for the named standard or certificate, not the word alone.
• “Compostable” usually refers to industrial composting conditions, which a garden heap or a river does not match.
• “Plastic-free” or “over 99% plastic-free” describes the share of synthetic polymer by weight. The small remainder is often the coating that gives colour and shine.
• “Bio-based” or “plant-based” describes where the carbon came from, not how the particle behaves. Bio-based PET is still PET.
• “Aluminium-free” matters because the metal layer is one candidate source of leachates, though the Green study did not isolate which layer caused the effects.

Use the App

Does the glitter in your makeup bag count as plastic?

Scan an eyeshadow, highlighter, nail polish or craft kit. The app reads the declared ingredients, flags plastic glitter names like polyethylene terephthalate, and separates them from mica, synthetic mica and cellulose.

Glitter in makeup: how to read the label

Cosmetics are where most people meet glitter year-round, and the EU gives makeup until 2035. On an ingredient list, plastic glitter usually appears as polyethylene terephthalate, sometimes alongside aluminum and polymer coatings. Mica (CI 77019) and synthetic fluorphlogopite (synthetic mica) are minerals. Cellulose signals a plant-based film, though its coating may not be listed in detail. Our cosmetic ingredient checklist and the makeup and skincare guide list other polymer names, and the nails guide covers glitter polish.

The skin question is different from the environmental one. Glitter on intact skin is mostly a waste problem: it ends up on pillowcases, in the shower drain and, from there, in wastewater. The Green team’s point was that cosmetic glitter is washed straight into water systems. Avoid loose glitter near the eyes, where a sharp plastic or glass fleck can scratch.

Can you recycle glitter wrapping paper and cards?

Usually not. Recycling programmes that publish wrapping-paper rules agree on the basics. Leeds City Council says wrapping paper can go in its recycling bin “with the exception of the shiny metallic and glitter varieties,” and recommends the scrunch test (Leeds). West Sussex County Council says cards or paper covered in glitter cannot be recycled “due to particles in the glitter,” that foil wrap cannot be recycled because of its coating, and that bows, ribbons and excess tape go in the rubbish. Those are UK councils; in the US, programmes vary by city, so check your hauler’s list.

Where holiday glitter ends up

Glitter travels because it is light, flat and static-prone. Most of it takes one of three routes. Specks that shed from cards and wrap land on floors and clothes, then go into the vacuum bag and the bin. Cosmetic and body glitter is washed off in the shower and goes down the drain to wastewater treatment, which is the route the Green team flagged. Craft glitter goes either way, depending on whether the table is wiped into the bin or rinsed at the sink.

The bin route is the lesser evil. Once glitter is in water, it is too small and too mixed with everything else to recover, and the 2026 review notes that researchers still cannot say how much glitter is in rivers or seas. So the household rule is simple: keep glitter dry and send it to the rubbish. The same logic applies to other everyday sources such as synthetic laundry lint, covered in our laundry microplastics guide.

Glitter-free swaps for the holidays

• Cards: choose plain, embossed or letterpress cards. Embossing gives texture and catches light without any particles.
• Wrap: brown kraft paper with cotton twine, newspaper or old maps, or a fabric wrap you reuse. A tea towel or scarf can be part of the gift.
• Crafts with kids: paper confetti from a hole punch, dried orange slices, pine cones, salt dough. If you want sparkle, glitter glue keeps it in a solid matrix, and glass glitter suits adult projects for durable ornaments.
• Makeup: shimmer shades based on mica or synthetic mica instead of PET glitter.
• Tablescapes and parties: skip loose glitter and plastic confetti. Our party supplies guide covers cups, plates and decorations.

If glitter is already in the house, keep it out of the drain. Wipe tables with a damp cloth or lint roller and put it in the rubbish, and vacuum carpets rather than rinsing glitter down the sink. Kids’ glitter toys and slime are worth a look too; the plastic toys guide explains what to check.

What the evidence does not establish

• A measured human health effect from glitter. The studies above test water plants, algae and invertebrates, not people.
• How much glitter is in rivers or seas. The 2026 review lists environmental concentrations as a major gap.
• That every cellulose glitter behaves like the one Green tested. Coatings differ by maker and product line.
• That “biodegradable” means fast breakdown in your drain or garden. Certifications describe specific test conditions, and one maker says its glitter is stable without microbes.