Canadian research team develops biodegradable glitter

In Canada, a research team at University of Saskatchewan has developed a biobased and biodegradable glitter made from cellulose nanoparticles.

Dubbed ChiralGlitter, the breakthrough offers an alternative to conventional glitter, which is made using microplastics and metals that persist in the environment.

“In modern glitter production, aluminum and polyethylene terephthalate (microplastics) are usually combined to produce the final product,” Amin Babaeighazvini, a PhD student in the school’s Engineering department, tells Technology Networks.  “Although I have developed a number of biodegradable films over the past eight years, we have recently developed biodegradable and edible glitters from natural resources that do not include microplastics.”

ChiralGlitter’s unique shapes and sizes reflect light, causing glitter’s distinct sparkle. “Most of the colors that we see in nature are either from pigments or structural colors,” says research supervisor Dr. Bishnu Acharya (PhD), an associate professor of engineering. “Structural color is based on how the light falls on the structure. The light reflects in a certain way, and that gives the color. We mimic these phenomena in creating ChiralGlitter.”