Glitter banned from schools to respect the environment

A month after the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow (Scotland), British schools have decided to ban glitter and are wondering how to celebrate the end of the year holidays in a more environmentally friendly way .

For the first time, pupils at Portsmouth High School for Girls in the South of England were invited to swap old Christmas sweaters with each other rather than buying new ones, a way to respect the tradition of the “christmas jumper” without contributing to pollution.

“More compliant products”

“It was really well received by the parents, but also by the daughters. They are quite concerned about the environment and (…) they like the idea that something that is not worn can be passed on to someone else who can use it the following year ”, explained to PA agency director, Jane Prescott. Glitter is also not allowed at this private establishment due to its impact on the environment.

For the same reasons, Graham Frost, principal of Robert Ferguson Primary School in Carlisle (northern England), has also banned non-biodegradable glitter, sometimes used in artistic activities. “If more schools adopt this line, the companies which supply the schools will think very carefully to provide products more in conformity with our environmental concerns”, he hopes.

A future “threatened by climate change”

He believes that there is a “growing feeling” among school principals that “it is imperative that we do everything possible to be a force for change and, to some extent, a force of influence” to prepare their children for a future “threatened by climate change”.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of Heads of Schools and Colleges said that “schools place great importance on the environment in everything they do because of the vital importance of this issue in general. and in particular for their pupils who rightly feel the need for a greener world ”. “The recent Cop26 climate change conference may have heightened this interest and Christmas provides a great opportunity to channel that enthusiasm into hands-on activities,” he added.