Did you hear, plastic-stemmed cotton buds are being banned in the UK? Yup – it’s the next step that’s being taken by the Government in an effort to reduce unnecessary single-use plastic waste.
Thankfully, you won’t have to live a bud-less existence. Eco-friendly bud makers, like Pura Source, are here to provide an eco alternative to traditional buds. Their bamboo-stemmed cotton buds are cleaning up our environment – just like they are cleaning up our makeup mistakes and our ears!
Why Are Cotton Buds Being Banned?
The cotton-bud ban is planned to take place next year, in an effort to reduce plastic-waste from entering our waterways. This is all part of Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra)’s 25-year Environment Plan to, which I summarised earlier this year alongside revealing my ambassadorship for their Year of Green Action.
First, microbeads were banned. Now, plastic-stemmed cotton buds, alongside plastic-fibre wet wipes, plastic stirrers, and plastic straws, are planned to disappear from our shelves in 2020.
The reason these small single-use plastic items are getting the chop, ahead of things like plastic-wrap and plastic bags, is because they’re incredibly difficult to remove from waste water. This graphic by the BBC explains the process well. And after my paddle-boarding-plastic-litter-picking experience with Plastic Patrol, I can very well tell you that the level of plastic in our waterways is really, really awful.
6 of the Best Eco-Friendly Cotton Bud Alternatives
So, in an effort to change things, I’ve been searching for the best eco-friendly cotton bud alternatives out there. So far, I’ve tried sturdy bamboo-stemmed cotton buds, slightly bendy paper-stemmed buds, and Bea Johnson‘s pinky finger technique (which I really do not recommend!)
To bring you this guide, I’ve paired up with Pura Source, the creators of what I would call the best eco-friendly cotton buds. Made using a bamboo stem, they’re sturdy, comfortable to use, and a natural swap from plastic alternatives.
Their buds come in wholly recyclable packaging – all cardboard and paper – and they also sell their buds in bulk, cutting down on carbon emissions generated from shipping.
See how they compare to the four other eco alternatives I’ve found here:
Acala*: Zero waste store’s own water-neutral cotton buds.
Bamboo Stick Masters: Organic cotton with bamboo wood stems.
Last Swab*: Reusable nylon and bio-plastic alternative to traditional buds.
MyKitCo*: Miniature buds designed for makeup, with wooden stems.
OceanSaver*: Large pack of over 600 bamboo-stemmed buds.
Pura Source: 100% natural and biodegradable bamboo cotton wool buds
Simply Gentle*: Organic cotton wool buds with paper stems
This post is sponsored by Pura Source. All views and opinions expressed remain my own. This post contains affiliate links (denoted with '*')
