We are “evolving into a planet of plastic,” the LA Times so aptly states. Currently, there are 9 billion tons of plastic suffocating our blue planet, and by 2050 there will be more than 13 billion tons. The large majority of this insidious substance resides in our oceans—“every major ocean basin now has its own garbage patch” of swirling plastic pollution.

And believe it or not, glitter is a significant (and sparkly) marine offender.

“Imagine dropping a salt shaker on the floor and then having to clean it up one individual salt crystal at a time,” describes Cosmetics Business. “Now imagine having to do the same after spilling it into the ocean, but instead of salt, which dissolves, the pieces are microplastic [plastic pieces smaller than 5mm]. The same size, but never dissolves.”

Glitter is a microplastic. Comprised of petroleum-based plastic coated in aluminum that persists in the environment for centuries, it coats ocean floors and feeds fish. Allure quoted Dr. Sherri Mason, Professor of Chemistry at SUNY Fredonia, calling glitter “a little poison pill.”

But Racked reports that perhaps glitter does not have to be bad for the planet after all.

24-year-old Saba Gray is the glitter game-changer and CEO of BioGlitz, the world’s first plant-based biodegradable glitter company. Dedicated to “taking the litter out of glitter,” Gray began her quest to make an “eco-friendly version of her beloved sparkle” five years ago. Through many failed attempts to find a manufacturer willing to bring her vision to fruition, Gray finally found “an English manufacturer that was already in the process of developing plant-based glitter.”

So, Saba promptly reached out, pitched the BioGlitz brand, and sealed the deal. She officially had a distributor for her shiny eco-conscious product.

Although her website for BioGlitz was still in beta, the brand still managed to go viral. “In the first week BioGlitz was in the top 3 percent of most-visited Shopify stores—not just in the U.S., but globally.” The impressive part? Saba advertised BioGlitz via her personal Facebook page. Nowhere else.

Unlike plastic glitter that sticks to everything and never leaves, Saba’s plant-based glitz is warmly received by individuals because of its biodegradable tendencies. BioGlitz doesn’t overstay its welcome.

And while “a few other plant-based glitter companies, like Glitter Evolution, have popped up since Gray founded BioGlitz just over a year ago,” BioGlitz outshines them all because of its other important mission statement: to blur gender lines through shine. The brand is arts- and fashion-focused and community based.

“BioGlitz,” the brand website reads, “is for him, her, them, you, me, we.”

And it’s for Mother Earth, too.

Shine on. Responsibly, of course.