(Related: For those who enjoyed the photos in this article, make sure to follow the photographer's Instagram, it's incredible. https://www.instagram.com/chrismaggio/)

http://www.agriculturedefensecoalition.org/sites/default/fil...

> Chaff consists of aluminum-coated glass fibers (also referred to as dipoles) ranging in lengths from 0.8 to 0.75 cm.

> Figure 1. Radio frequency chaff cartridges (Air Force version RR-188/AL, top; Navy version RR-144/AL, bottom) and chaff fibers (right). Fibers of different lengths can be seen in the Navy operational version (clear cylinder). These lengths correspond to the frequency modes of the radar spectrum

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Usnchaff...

Yup, wiki says it can be metallized plastic: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaff_(countermeasure)

My first guess would be a consumable. Maybe food-related, where we don't expect (or want) glitter. The "toothpaste" guess sounds like it's on the right track. "Fast food" wouldn't entirely surprise me, either.

For reference:

> I asked if she would tell me off the record. She would not. I asked if she would tell me off the record after this piece was published. She would not. I told her I couldn’t die without knowing. She guided me to the automotive grade pigments.

A lot of cosmetics straight up contain phthalates as an intentionally added ingredient.

For the roads themselves, more reflective might be a bad thing anywhere that sees heavy snowfall. Less sunlight absorbed=colder roads=more snow buildup and many other related problems.

None of these uses would need to be kept secret though.

https://old.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/a8hrk0...

>defense department would be extremely secretive

>And they very much wouldn't care about the environmental impact

>A few hundred tons of glitter is significantly less bad than thousands of tons of agent orange and dioxin.

>And depleted uranium

I guess it's possible chaff is made by Glitterex.

It's a toxic heavy metal, but it doesn't present any serious radioactivity danger.

https://www.self.com/story/do-not-put-glitter-in-your-vagina

>Passion Dust is billed as an "adult novelty item" and its sole purpose is to "add a sparkle and flavor to your natural vaginal fluids to make the experience of lovemaking that much more fun and enjoyable for you and your partner." Um, ok. The flavor is apparently "sweet like candy but not overly sweet," the website says, just enough to make your partner think that your unicorn vagina is "what all vaginas are supposed to look, feel and taste like; soft, sweet and magical!"

https://www.prettywomaninc.com/q-a

"The sparkling effect can last for up to 5 days."

"When he looks down at his 'magic stick' and sees it shining like it's 'God's gift'. It will be weird, but he won't be mad!...He'll either be really impressed with himself or really impressed by you! You can tell him or don't."

But all the more horrifying in light of talc conferring asbestos into cavities in ways that provoke cervical cancer.

I'm sure knowing that glitter is used in a diamond ring would turn a lot of people away.

"metallized glass fibre(fiber) or plastic" [1]

Metallized pastic sounding a lot like... glitter.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaff_(countermeasure)

If not to that sub, then the peeps over at /r/rbi and /r/whatisthisthing has achieved incredible findings