Bamboo Cotton Wool Buds

In light of recent news the first product I want to talk about is the bamboo cotton wool bud. For those that don’t know, from April 2020 the UK government have restricted the sale of cotton buds with plastic stems to the general public. A major report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed the UK uses more plastic cotton buds – 13.2 billion items a year – than any other European nation. The below image shows the harsh impact of where these plastic cotton buds have been ending up.

To To ride currents, seahorses clutch drifting seagrass or other natural debris. In the polluted waters off the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, this seahorse latched onto a plastic cotton swab— “a photo I wish didn’t exist,” says photographer Justin Hofma

Don’t worry there is an alternative to the plastic cotton bud; introducing the 100% biodegradable bamboo and organic cotton bud. Bamboo is raw material that is a good replacement to plastic. It is strong, flexible and renewable resource growing naturally, without pesticides or fertilisers, up to 4 feet per day. There are many different brands of cotton bud available to you but below are details of a family run UK business I have had success with.

Eco Alyn Bamboo

Pack of 2 (400 pieces) cost £5.49 from Amazon – http://www.ecoalyn.com

♻️ Zero plastic packaging used.
♻️ 100% organic cotton, ethically sources bamboo.
♻️ Completely compostable.
♻️ Lifetime satisfaction guarantee.

Despite being compostable it is important these don’t end up in the ocean. Once used make sure you DON’T flush it down the toilet. Instead snap in half and add to the compost pile as they will decompose in less then 4 months (same goes for the boxes). Alternatively you can add them to the garden waste bin.

Personally I have found no difference between these bamboo cotton wool buds and their plastic counter part. The quality is excellent, with a sturdy stem and just the right amount of cotton firmly fixed on the end. This has been by far one of the easiest switches I have made!