Embora o glitter seja bonito, ele é muito perigoso para a vida marinha devido aos microplásticos. Escolas e ongs estão começando a substituir por alternativas ecológicas, como o glitter sustentável.
Do you still use common glitter?
We agree: IT IS BEAUTIFUL. Bright, colorful, pure joy … However, did you know that this seemingly harmless material is actually quite dangerous to other beings and even to ourselves?
It is unanimous among scientists the damages this material has been causing to our sea life. Most of the glitter is made of microplastic, that is, plastics less than 5 millimeters in length (same size of a rice grain), particularly attractive in make-up, artwork and for the famous slime (subject that also deserves attention, but not today!), when used and discarded, they end up in the ocean and take hundreds of years to decompose.
The biggest problem? A large number of animals, such as fish, mussels and oysters, end up mistaking it with food or absorbing it with water. Sad, isn’t it? As a result, microplastics are present in our seafood and in 90% of the world’s salt brands, as researches have shown, and we still cannot measure the effects of this plastic on the human body.
Schools around the whole world have already banned the use of glitter and replaced with other shiny and creative materials.
Tali and Friends, as many other schools around the world, has been trying to find out the perfect eco glitter recipe, that is, cheap, sustainable and easy-to-make. 🙂 Here’s the main recipe we’ve been using -sometimes, even mixing with homemade paint! Have you tried anything different? Let us know!
ECO GLITTER:
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of mica powder
Food coloring as wished (or vegan paint)
Mix salt & mica separately with a few drops of food coloring and let it dry for about 1-2h. Mix both and have fun! 🙂
Love,
Tali Treacher
#EcoGlitter #SustainableCrafting #ProtectOurOceans #Microplastics
Fast growing industry promotes disposable culture, but a large number of consumers are prioritizing quality, sustainability, and ethical practices to protect our planet and future. Learn more in this post.
Fast industry has trained consumers to think of clothes, toys, daily use objects and even electronics as disposable. When you can buy an of-the-moment plastic toy for as cheap as R$1,00, it’s very easy to come back in a week to pick up a new one and toss the old one -or even pile up with a bunch of forgotten toys. We now know that this behavior has huge environmental consequences and, if we keep going like this, there won’t be space for life as it is for future generations.
Researches show, only 28% of consumers in Brazil are conscious about what they purchase. Happily, this scenario has been changing: it’s not ‘just’ quality, and environmental waste we should care about. Many consumers are already more concerned about how workers around the world are being selected and treated and the product’s impact on their health.
The plastic, for example, yet cheap, can be toxic; preferring handmade, wooden or organic material can have a great impact on your child’s sensory development. Things we buy consume not just our money and natural resources, but our space, energy and concentration.
Large corporations have made it much easier to distract us with catchy ads, price competition, and/or variety of products. It is so easy to ignore the impacts of your consumption when something is cheaper, widely available, and a lot faster to access, but we are doing a lot for our planet, economy and people when choosing to go green.
At Tali and Friends, we take this matter very seriously and are always bringing up discussions related to sustainability and environmental science to our classes. Here are also some things you can do at home too:
- Assess the brands in your life (Where does stuff come from? How are they made? What are they made of? Who makes them?);
- Go organic, handmade and local. Check at the labels and fairs of your community when buying foods & goodies to your family, and involve kids in this decision. Price of Eco-products are not usually friendly, that’s why the next item is quite important;
- Invest in quality instead of quantity in order to avoid waste. When you think of buying something that wasn’t on your list, wait a bit, think if you really need it, and if you already have something that fits the purpose.
- Recycle and Upcycle: Before throwing something away in the trash can, just think: Is there anything I need that can be made with this? Is there anyone I know that needs this product?
#ConsumoConsciente #Sustentabilidade #EcoFriendly #EconomiaVerde