Decades after the late 1970s, the death of disco has officially hit Europe. That's because the governing body behind most of the continent has banned the sale of several types of plastic glitter, due to the dangers they pose to the environment and to human health.
The ban, which went into place on Oct. 17, 2023, comes as part of a larger commitment by the European Commission to reduce the release of microplastics. So, what makes glitter such a terrible threat to ecosystems, and which sorts of glitter are specifically included in the ban?
"Glitter is just one form of plastic pollution," says Erica Cirino, spokesperson of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. "All plastic items and the production processes used to make plastics release microplastic and myriad other pollutants."
But glitter is a particularly potent pollutant, in and of itself, thanks to its structure and process of production.
"Today, most glitters ...
