Reusable cotton buds: how it works and why it pays off

Reusable cotton buds: how it works and why it's worthwhile

The reusable cotton bud is a small object with which you can do great things, for personal care and for the environment. It is thegreen evolution of the classic cotton bud; to understand what it is, it is essential to take a step back. The ear cleaning accessory as we know it has a rather long history. Initially made of wood, over time has seen its stick become plastic. The cotton buds of this type have been banned for some years now in Italy, replaced by law by products disposable biodegradable products. However, the solution is still far from being truly effective, especially from an environmental point of view. It took the discovery of reusable cotton buds for a radical paradigm shift.

The environmental problem

The use of the Q-tip is quite simple: the cotton-covered end is inserted into the ear, in order to extract earwax and dirt accumulated on the outside of the pinna. After use, and here comes the problem, the stick is flushed down the toilet and through the sewer system ends up in the sea. It may sound strange, but such a small object is responsible for great damage to the environment. To get an idea, just think that the one contained in the cotton buds represents almost 5% of all the plastic that infests our seas. The damages caused to the ecosystem are really a lot. The sticks end up polluting the water, and are often mistaken for food by many mammals, birds and fish. The solution, as already mentioned at the beginning of this article, would seem to be that of biodegradable products. The conditional is obligatory, because the time necessary for the decomposition of such objects are extremely long. Meanwhile, the environment continues to be invaded by more waste.

What is the reusable cotton bud

The disposable biodegradable cotton bud shows all its limits even though it was born from a good idea, and as an answer to a concrete problem. The truly effective solution comes from another idea, that of the reusable cotton bud. These are products with a potentially unlimited life, with obvious advantages for the entire ecosystem. Suffice it to say that over 500 billion disposable cotton buds are produced each year, most of which are disposed of improperly. Reusable cotton buds make extensive use of materials suitable for contact with the skin, hypoallergenic and also used in surgery. But there's more: research is pushing the ethical front as well as the ergonomic aspect. The new reusable cotton buds are designed to extract earwax much more effectively than their traditional counterparts. On these, the cotton tip can cause the opposite effect of pushing the earwax plug even deeper. In contrast, reusable models are designed to get as much dirt out of your ear as possible, thanks to the form factor and materials used.

Materials: Beyond silicone

There are many different types of reusable Q-tips; some are made of wood, some are made of silicone, and some are made of medical and surgical materials. medical and surgical. By working in this direction, it is possible to obtain a product that is practical to use and particularly easy to clean. To combine the needs of hygiene and attention to the environment, the most advanced products use the TPE for the tips. It is a substance that is safe for health, so much so that it is also used for the production of medical devices and pacifiers for children. Its properties include:

• Resistance to high and low temperatures
• High flexibility
• Resistance to deformation
• High elasticity
• Good grip properties for a anti-slip effect.

The TPE tip ensures an optimal grip on the earwax, eliminating the need to press down with the risk of pushing dirt into the inner ear. The final part of the stick is also particularly soft for a delicate but effective use at the same time.

This kind of device is easily available in several online stores, in pharmacies and at the GDO. We have decided to work with one of the leading companies on this kind of products: LastObject. We are looking for partners who share with us the same same values and objectives and LastObject is definitely one of them. LastObject is a Danish company dedicated to the creation of sustainable and reusable alternatives to disposable items. Their goal, like ours, is to create sustainable and reusable solutions. We fight the same problemeveryday, unnecessary disposables have a huge negative impact on the environment. unnecessary, have a huge negative impact on our Planet.

LastSwab Is an alternative to the everyday disposable ear cleaning stick. It is made of medical TPE to ensure good hygiene, PP + fiberglass to make it very durable and stored in a case made of recycled plastic from ocean waste, collected off the coast of Indonesia. One LastSwab is intended toreplace 1000 disposable sticks.

LastSwab Basic is designed to help clean out earwax. The stick has irregular medical TPE tips to help grip earwax. The tips are soft and gentle enough to use in the outer ear.

LastSwab Beauty Is a reusable and sustainable alternative to disposable sticks used for makeup removal. With pointed ends, it is specially designed for makeup removers. Precision touch-ups to makeup and cleaning tight spaces. It is made of medical TPE to ensure good hygiene, PP + fiberglass to make it very durable and stored in a case of recycled plastic sourced from ocean waste collected off the coast of Indonesia. A LastSwab Beauty can be reused 1,000 times.

Easy to use, wash and reuse.