Glitter loses its shimmer as Waitrose pledges to phase it out

Waitrose has joined a move away from glitter by pledging to ban it from all its own-brand products by 2020

Waitrose has joined a move away from glitter by pledging to ban it from all its own-brand products by 2020

Waitrose has pledged that by Christmas 2020, its own label cards, wrap, crackers, tags, flowers and plants will either be glitter-free or the retailer will use an environmentally friendly alternative.

This year, three quarters of Waitrose’s own label cards, wraps, crackers and tags along with half of its flowers and plants will be glitter-free. By next Christmas, all flowers and plants will be glitter-free; and by 2020 all own label products in these ranges will be glitter-free or use an environmentally friendly alternative.

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Glitter is made up of tiny pieces of plastic, and when washed off, the little bits of plastic can end up in water where they never break down.

The move follows news earlier this year that BBC television programme Strictly Come Dancing banned the use of traditional glitter on the programme, as have a number of nursery schools and music festivals in the UK.

Tor Harris, head of CSR, health and agriculture for Waitrose & Partners, said: “Reducing the impact of plastics on the environment is something our customers care passionately about.”

Reducing the impact of plastics on the environment is something our customers care passionately about

In September 2016, the retailer became the first supermarket to stop selling products containing plastic microbeads. At the same time, Waitrose switched its plastic stem cotton buds to paper ones.

It has also brought forward a target to make all its own brand packaging widely recycled, reusable or home compostable from 2025 to 2023. The retailer will replace approximately 11,000 tonnes of non-recycled plastic within those two years with more sustainable alternatives. 

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