University of Saskatchewan research team develops new biodegradable, edible glitter

A University of Saskatchewan research team has developed an innovative glitter product that has the potential to mitigate plastic pollution around the world.

Led by Amin Babaeighazvini, a PhD student in the U of S's college of engineering, the team has developed a new type of glitter that is biodegradable and edible.

Although glitter can be fun and used for things like crafts, makeup, festivals or snow globes, it can be a hazard to health and hard to clean up, along with being bad for the environment.

Glitter products are often made of tiny plastic particles referred to as microplastics.

The team set out to develop something that is better for the environment, but still allows people to have the fun associated with glitter.

The new product, called ChiralGlitter, is made with cellulose from eucalyptus trees.

"The glitter particles are a variety of unique shapes and sizes that allow them to reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer," said Babaeighazvini.

"Structural colour is based on how the light falls on the structure. The light reflects in a certain way, and that gives the colour. We mimic these phenomena in creating ChiralGlitter."

There are other biodegradable glitters on the market.

Jennilee Cardinal-Schultz, owner of Green Tree Beauty on Eighth Street East in Saskatoon, went looking for environmentally conscious glitter alternatives after posting a full body glitter look to social media and getting some comments on how the product is bad for the environment.

She found biodegradable glitter made by a sustainable beauty company in California. She said more and more people are using the environmentally friendly glitter, especially for events like the Ness Creek Music Festival, which asks its attendees not to wear traditional glitter because of its harm to the environment.

"We get a lot of people for Ness Creek coming to use or to coming to get glitter," said Schultz. "The glitter actually isn't just for makeup either though. You can use it for crafts. You can use it for nails, hair, anything like that. So we have people coming to use it or to buy it to use for all sorts of things."

Babaeighazvini said the new glitter developed at the U of S can be used for more than just visual things like makeup. Being made out of cellulose means its edible, opening the door to decorate food like cakes and cookies with ChiralGlitter.

"We haven't looked into the [food] certification and all those things, but the material that is used, it's something we consume regularly, so I believe there won't be any issues on that side," he said.