Morrisons And Waitrose Are Banning Glitter This Christmas

Morrisons and Waitrose are committing not to put glitter on any of their own-brand Christmas products this year, in a bid to tackle plastic pollution.

As part of a nationwide push from retailers to help the environment, the supermarkets will be banning the small, shimmery plastics, which can harm wildlife and even end up in the food chain after failing to properly decompose in the environment.

In a statement on Wednesday, Morrisons said that all its own brand cards, wrapping paper, present bags, flowers, plants and wreaths would be glitter free, while it would only be selling paper, metal or wooden toys in its crackers.

Glitter is an "ecological hazard" which "takes hundreds of years to degrade" the supermarket said.

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Pledging to remove 50 tonnes of plastic from its branches over the festive period, 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.

"So, 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."

The move is not just for seasonal lines, but all own brand greeting cards.

The supermarket is joined by the likes of Waitrose and John Lewis, who will also remove glitter from all of its single-use products this year.

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"All own-brand cards, crackers, wrapping paper, gift bags are now 100% glitter-free," a representative from the stores said.

It comes as Waitrose strives towards its target of making all of its own brand packaging either recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2023.

And its not alone in striving towards higher standards for the planet.

Asda is launching its very first sustainable Christmas range, and Boots is also cutting out single-use plastic packaging from Christmas gifts, promising to banish 2,000 tonnes in total from its ranges.

Sainsbury's has joined the fight too, promising "customers will find no glitter on our Christmas cards, wrapping paper or gift bags," while also cutting down on the glitter it uses crackers, decorations, and flowers.

Meanwhile, Tesco is only selling edible glitter.

We're pleased to see supermarkets stepping up.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman