The largest glitter manufacturer has one main client buying all of its glitter - but you can't know who it is
by Mia Kronski
There are tons of different ways our planet is polluted every day, and one of the biggest culprits is glitter.
Yes, glitter.
That fun – and annoying – decoration for parties and kids projects is actually a microplastic – small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long.
Why are microplastics such a large problem?
Microplastics are one of the largest pollutant issues in our lifetime. They can contaminate almost everything humans see or touch.
A 2019 study estimated that humans "take in” up to 100,000 bits of microplastics each day by ingesting or inhaling them.
And more than eight million metric tons of glitter has ended up in the world’s oceans.
I mean, these tiny particles are so unbearable to get rid of, there’s even a website to “ship your enemies glitter."
Currently, there is certainly no way to completely eliminate microplastics from our planet.
Despite many nationwide attempts of banning glitter, not much of an impact has been made. In addition to how difficult it is to clean up, the glitter manufacturing industry is extremely successful - suspected to be a billion dollar industry.
Where is all of this glitter coming from?
The largest glitter manufacturer has one main client who is buying all of their glitter- but wont disclose who.
Many journalists have been attempting to uncover who is behind all of this glitter purchasing, but factory representatives refuse to disclose who their biggest buyer is.
The first suspect
One of the largest accused buyers for this “glittergate” is the United States military for weapons and explosives.
“Glitter in military explosives may seem like an unexpected combination, but it's actually quite prevalent,” says Tanner Kronski, a data analyst for Picatinny Arsenal.
Kronski works every day with various military grade weaponry at the Army Base located in Wharton, New Jersey.
“I mean it's there is (glitter) for sure. It's used in certain types of explosives, marking and signaling devices,” Kronski added. “Like smoke grenades and tracer rounds, to make them more visible during training exercises and in combat.”
This is an extremely plausible theory, considering the exuberant amount of glitter that would be used. It also would explain why it would need to be kept confidential by glitter companies.
However- there is one flaw.
“I mean it's not like we're using birthday party glitter here,” says Kronski.
“It's a different grade of glitter that the military has to use, which is essentially a completely different thing than just cosmetic or party glitter,” Kronski said. “They’re using a microplastic that must withstand extreme conditions, including high temperatures, pressure, and even shock waves.”
The second suspect
After scrolling through numerous interrogative articles and argumentative reddit threads - many users are pointing fingers toward boat paint.
“I mean any good fisherman knows that anything shiny will catch the eye of a fish…” says lifelong fisherman and professional angler Tye Lalik. “It makes sense why fishermen would want this shine on their boat.”
Like many paints, glitter is often poured into them for an extra added shine and sheen. In boats- fishing boats to be more specific - there are many reasons as to why glitter would be added to the paint.
Adding glitter in boat paint serves a variety of purposes, both aesthetic and functional.
Most importantly, it attracts the fish.
“They're hoping it'll help them catch more fish. It’s kind of one of those trends that’ll hit the docks,” says Lalik.
“People put a lot of money into their boats, and if glitter paint will probably make it look better and catch more bites in the water, people are going to pay for it,” Lalik continued.
Besides obviously making it “prettier,” glitter can make it safer as well, where particles can also improve visibility in low light or foggy conditions.
“I mean, it’s not really going to be a huge factor in the success of your day,” says Lalik about boats having glitter versus not.
Lalik added there are a lot of factors that go into even just one offshore trip, no matter how big the boat or the crew.
“Also, the effectiveness of glitter paints on the hull can also depend on factors such as water clarity, time of day, and even just the behavior of the fish,” he said.
What does this mean for our environment?
Researchers found over eight million tons of glitter in the oceans. However, the direct pollution from the glitter residue wearing off from the bottom hull has yet to be thoroughly researched.
Our marine friends think these sparkly shards are food, so these plastics are working their way into the food chain and causing inevitable death across all forms of aquatic life.
Lalik, also a sustainability minor at The College of Charleston, knows the importance of stopping these microplastics.
“It’s without a doubt that the fishermen and this industry get a bad reputation with environmentalists," Lalik says, adding that fishermen are also among the people most interested in preserving the oceans.
“But what people don’t usually understand is that it's the fishermen like us spending the most time miles offshore,” Lalik added. “There is nothing more important to me and guys likewise to preserve this ocean that we spend so much time in and protect this environment.”