Metal powders and glitters manufacturer Ronald Britton has launched what it claims is the world’s first plastic-free and certified biodegradable glitter.
Based on natural materials rather than plastic, Cosmetic Bioglitter Pure is designed to decompose completely, like a leaf in the natural environment.
The product is the first glitter to be verified microplastic-free by the EU and officially certified OK Biodegradable Water by TÜV, meaning it is guaranteed to biodegrade in natural freshwater environments.
It is completely durable as a glitter in product, but once it enters the natural environment microbes will digest the glitter, turning it into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.
While it has been created for the cosmetics sector, Ronald Britton said the product is robust enough to be used in coating, printing and decorative applications.
Ronald Britton commercial director Stephen Cotton said: “Cosmetic Bioglitter Pure is completely unique in the market, it is the first glitter of its kind in the world to use natural materials and no plastic.
“We’re trying to set a new standard that people can rely on. We see biodegradable this or biodegradable that on the internet with no qualification of what that means, and for the consumer that is extremely confusing.
“Without any testing or definition of what it means, the word biodegradable is worthless. You need to define the percentage, the time and the environments in which it will biodegrade.”
He added: “Our first step on the Bioglitter journey was the launch of our original Bioglitter product back in 2014, followed with Deco Bioglitter Sparkle, a technical grade for coating and print applications, last year.”
Deco Bioglitter Sparkle, which remains the company’s brightest Bioglitter product, has been independently tested to prove that biodegradation is “high in the natural environment”.
“While Deco Bioglitter Sparkle is not yet 100% plastic free, it is 93% plastic free, which is much better than zero,” said Cotton.
“Supermarkets are really demanding a change of the market now. Some have moved to Deco Bioglitter Sparkle, and some are saying they want to be plastic free by 2020.
“We’re developing products very fast and Deco Bioglitter Sparkle is on a journey to being 100% plastic free at the moment and we’re hoping to push it over the line by then.
“But for those who cannot stand any plastic at all, there is now an option there for them with Cosmetic Bioglitter Pure.”
He added Cosmetic Bioglitter Pure offers “a different look” to Deco Bioglitter Sparkle, with a softer focus.
The new product is commercially available with immediate effect in 5kg to 20kg boxes. Ronald Britton supplies UK customers directly and has distributors for other markets.
“There is a premium to this product as these raw materials are quite a lot more expensive, however the cost of glitter in application is quite low and it adds a lot of value – or get it wrong and it can add a lot of pain,” said Cotton.
“There are a lot of consumers who are willing to pay a little bit more for products that they know are environmentally friendly.”
By Richard Stuart-Turner, Friday 05 April 2019