FORT MYERS, Fla. — “It’s just never going to go away it’s not going to biodegrade,” said Fabiana Solano a student at FGCU working to preserve our environment.
As a campus photographer Fabiana Solano has taken notice of the amount of glitter being left by students trying to spice up their graduation photos. She started to do some research and what she found was mind blowing.
“And the moment we went under the boardwalk it’s just this sheet of flashy colorful things,” said Solano.
She has launched a campaign to raise awareness on how glitter can be harmful to the environment. Solono says there are other options to ring in a celebration and capture the moment.
“Some alternatives are bubbles or one my of favorites is colored flowers petals you can get just about anywhere from your local gardens and another one is props we already pay for our caps so you can just throw it up it looks super cute,” said Solano.
Solano has gotten not only students involved but professors who say this is a serious problem.
“When you throw this stuff out the wind seems to blow it away or the water carries it away but it’s still going to persist in the environment for hundred and hundred of years,” said Chad Evers an instructor in the Department of Ecology & Environmental Studies.
Evers says with FGCU being an eco-friendly campus, students are doing more harm than good by using glitter.
"This is the impact they that have left on the university so this stuff is going to persist here for years and years long after they are gone," said Evers.
Solano and Evers want students not just at FGCU but everywhere to be cautious and simply use alternatives that are not damaging to the environment.
“Be smart and be creative, and you can do so much with that you already have,” said Solano.
