BOOTS, Morrisons, John Lewis and Waitrose are all scrapping glitter for Christmas to help save the planet – but some shoppers are furious.
Glitter is being axed from Christmas cards and plastic from packaging as retailers try to deliver a more eco-friendly festive season this year.
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Glitter is made from tiny particles of plastic, and can take hundreds of years to degrade, meaning it’s bad for the environment.
This Christmas, Morrisons shoppers will no longer be able to get glitter on greeting cards, gift wrap and seasonal items in stores.
Waitrose and John Lewis have also promised to remove glitter from single-use products this Christmas.
Plus, Boots has ditched single-use plastic packaging from its Christmas gifts and axed glitter on gift packaging, greeting cards and wrapping paper.
Which retailers have scrapped glitter for Christmas?
BELOW we round up how glitter policies have changed at some of the major retailers and supermarkets.
- Asda: It launched its first sustainable Christmas range this month, but is yet to confirm whether it’s scrapped glitter entirely.
- Boots: It’s ditched single-use plastic packaging from its Christmas gifts range, and removed glitter from gift packaging, greeting cards and wrapping paper.
- John Lewis Partnership: John Lewis and Waitrose will remove glitter from all single-use products this Christmas.
- Lidl: The discounter has scrapped glitter on all own-brand wrapping paper, Christmas cards, crackers and gift bags this year.
- Morrisons: The supermarket has scrapped glitter on greeting cards, gift wrap and seasonal items.
- M&S: It banned glitter on Christmas cards and wrapping last year, and is rolling out a sustainable range for the first time this year.
- Sainsbury’s: Shoppers won’t find any glitter on its Christmas cards, wrapping paper or gift bags. Sainsbury’s has also removed glitter from a range of decorations and crackers, as well as flowers.
- Tesco: The supermarket doesn’t sell biodegradable or plastic glitter on any own-brand products or packaging. Instead it comes with edible glitter.
Sainsbury’s has also pledged to remove glitter on some products, while Tesco said its own-brand products don’t come with plastic glitter.
The move to scrap glitter for Christmas has sparked a debate on social media and while some were supportive, others were worried about a festive season with no sparkle.
One user said: “This is great news, hopefully the other major supermarkets will follow suit and ban the glitter!
“Let’s try and have the most sustainable and eco-friendly Christmas possible this year.”
And another added: “This is progress. Last year, it was everywhere. Goodbye glitter- you won’t be missed!”
However, another user who was less positive, wrote: “Maybe just go full Grinch and cancel Christmas completely!
“There will be glitter in our house (we keep it in the loft and re-use very year).”
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While another added: “Supermarkets not advocating glitter on Christmas decorations.
“The sparkle is slowly being taken out of this fricking dismal winter we are in for!!!!”
Plus, a third user was torn about the change and said: “My head knows it’s the right environmental choice, but my heart says did this year have to be the one when glitter gets banned?
“After the grimness of 2020, frankly I was more than ready for a teeny touch of festive glitter on the odd Christmas card.”
The moves follow a campaign launched in March 2019 by activism group 38 Degrees, which called for a ban on plastic glitter.
The petition cited a 2019 study, which had found one third of fish in the North Sea contained microplastic particles.
Christine Bryce, Morrisons home director, said: “Every time a cracker is pulled, or a card is opened, plastics have been used … but just the once.
“We’ve taken glitter and plastic out of our festive range this year, so that our customers can enjoy their festivities without worrying about the environmental impact.”
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Last year, M&S banned glitter from its Christmas cards to cut down on plastic waste.
Meanwhile, plastic waste in our oceans is expected to triple in the next 20 year because efforts to stem it are barely making an impact.
In August, Morrisons announced it plans to replace all plastic bags for life with reusable paper ones that cost 30p.
6 ways to reduce plastic waste with The Sun’s Green Team
