UK-based fashion brand Boden, has announced that all sequins and glitter would be phased out of their collection in order to protect the oceans.

According to The New York Times, it is the first major retailer to take this step, but others are expected to follow suit in their search for more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Boden explained the move by claiming that, on average, 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans each year, and that its designers were constantly coming up with new methods to add "wow" to the collection through bright appliqués, embroidery, and even brand-new 3D techniques.

Sequins in fashion are made of petroleum-based plastics such as PVCs, which contain hazardous chemicals.

Boden's decision to abandon the harmful glitters was praised by Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet. While it's great to see Boden abandon the sequins, it's important to remember that this is just the sparkling tip of the fashion industry's plastic iceberg. The fundamental issue is that 70 percent of our apparel is composed of plastic.

Last year, merchants Morrisons, Waitrose, and John Lewis phased away glitter from Christmas items, citing environmental worries over microplastics.