Water soluble confetti: A small change with big impacts

The spring semester ushers in multiple traditions, like preparing for commencement, securing careers and finally stepping on the university seal. The 2026 spring semester is ending with a simple change and big effects for the local environment.

In previous years, sidewalks around the seal, the Tri-Delt Sundial and the area under Upham Arch could be seen covered in plastic confetti following graduation photoshoots. This year, water soluble confetti has offered an alternative to plastic through a university-wide initiative.

John Day, secretary for the Infrastructure and Sustainability Committee in Associated Student Government (ASG), said the transition away from plastic confetti to water soluble confetti began as a collaboration between ASG and the Office of the President.

“Two years ago, we ordered the confetti,” Day said. “It’s been something on our minds for a while.”

Day said ASG and the Office of the President each purchased $5,000 worth of water soluble confetti from The Confetti Bar. According to The Confetti Bar website, they offer biodegradable confetti options including “solufetti” made from blown cornstarch, mica and herbs.

Megan Croswell, a horticulturist for Miami’s Grounds Maintenance, said the switch to water soluble confetti makes managing the graduation season much easier. Croswell said she works with the grassy, plant-filled areas around campus, so easy confetti clean-ups are greatly valued in her day-to-day life.

“We can just blow [the water soluble confetti] into the bushes, and then it goes away,” Croswell said. “With the [plastic confetti], we have to find other ways to get it out.”

Student involvement was a key factor to the success of this switch. Day said ASG reached out to seniors through social media posts, advertisements and free sets of confetti for students around campus.

Day said they were able to start distributing the confetti to students during Grad Fest at Brick and Ivy. He said they tabled before the 2025 winter graduation, and that this will be the first 2026 May graduation with the water soluble confetti.

This push was supported across organizations. Day said the signs around campus promoting water soluble confetti were from the Climate Action Sustainability Council. These signs, along with many other reminders, helped push the initiative to students.

“I feel like knowing [water soluble confetti] can be dissolved makes me feel better about using it,” senior Emerson Diamond said.

Diamond is a graduating marketing major, who will be working at Hershey in territory sales after commencement. She said she was happy to use water soluble confetti over plastic confetti.

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Diamond said she knew plastic confetti was worse for the environment, so she purchased paper confetti from Amazon. Students can also get free packages of water-soluble confetti from the Armstrong Student Center information desk.

Day said the water soluble confetti collaboration between ASG and the Office of the President should last into the future as traction grows for the initiative.

Day said his biggest takeaway from this change is that student initiatives work. Croswell agreed that student involvement and awareness played a large role in the successes of water soluble confetti.

“I’m just really proud of what we did, and how we were able to do something different in basically one year,” Croswell said. “It makes me hopeful that we can solve the next problem too.”

feeta@miamioh.edu