#HTE

LastObject Replaces Disposable Cotton Balls with a Sustainable Alternative

I have deep admiration for LastObject, the Danish design firm tackling the problem of single-use items. The respect is not only for their missin, but because they’ve been addressing the unsexiest of items like cotton swabs and disposable tissues, objects few of us think about. Now they’re after the disposable cotton balls that people use to remove makeup and apply skincare products with.

You might think, what’s the problem with cotton? As LastObject points out, there are many:

“Regular cotton rounds are made of non-organic cotton that uses vast amounts of chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers. Chemicals are used to bleach them and turn them into smooth compact cotton rounds.

"According to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), cotton production is the largest user of water among all agricultural commodities. It takes 2640 gallons (10.000 liters) of clean drinking water to produce 1000 (1.1 lbs or 0,5 kg) regular cotton rounds.”

Their solution is LastRound, a package of washable and reusable cotton rounds “made from 100% renewable raw materials…70% Scandinavian wood fibers (FSC), and 30% cotton fibers that are too short for the textile industry to use.”

The project’s on Kickstarter, and at press time they were up to $73,566 in pledges on a $10,117 goal, with 30 days left to pledge.

https://www.core77.com/posts/101648/LastObject-Replaces-Disposable-Cotton-Balls-with-a-Sustainable-Alternative