I’ve already mentioned in this post on intentional living that the zero waste movement (or low impact if you will) is much more prominent in the Czech Republic than it is in the UK at the moment. For that reason I’ve decided to take part in a 40 day zero waste challenge organised by this Czech blog about zero waste. I find it pretty motivational and each day gives you a little something to ponder on. The challenge started only 5 days ago but I’m already fully invested in completing it and what’s more, I’ve been trying to come up with my own zero waste swaps. Not gonna lie, I’ve been contemplating these zero waste swaps for a while now – I may have started around Christmas time last year, but the time has come now that I’ve decided to introduce you to some of my favourite swaps in hope that they might inspire you! Let’s have a look at disposable cotton rounds!
Why are disposable cotton rounds bad?
Just about everyone and their cat uses cotton rounds to remove their make-up, wipe up remnants of foundation off the back of their hand, remove nail polish or maybe even to apply that extremely gross sticky cream they hate using but it was oh so expensive so let’s just roll with it. Now – we need to be honest. We use cotton rounds a lot. Like, A LOT a lot. A lot in excess. So much we don’t really need to, do we? And throwing so much cotton just isn’t okay. The cotton industry is putting a huge strain on the plant – on the people, on the water, on the waste, producing simple cotton pads just comes with a full portfolio of long lasting damage to everyone involved. Including us – because your standard cotton rounds are, wait for it, BLEACHED (that’s why they are as white as Simon Cowell’s teeth). And rubbing a tiny pad soaked in bleach on your face doesn’t seem ideal.
Swapping from disposable to reusable cotton rounds
Swapping isn’t such a big deal at all. Nowadays you can find reusable cotton pads in many shapes and forms all over the internet and sometimes in drugstores too. If you live in the UK then you can get them from the Wise House or the Ethical Superstore. They also sell them on Etsy or you can be more adventurous and make your own cotton rounds – there are plenty of video tutorials on YouTube! If you’re based in the Czech Republic then you can get them from just about every eco online shop or you can also find them in DM drugstores now! These reusable cotton rounds are made out of bio cotton which has been ethically sourced, they are not bleached or treated by any other chemicals, you can chuck them in the wash with your towels and what’s more, they are super soft! Some of them are more flannel-like with a slightly grainy texture and some are velvet-like (and SOOO soft!). I have both types (I think I have about 16 rounds at the moment which is just about enough – this way I don’t have to wash them too often), each round works out to be around £1.
Have you tried any zero waste swaps yet?
And have you tried these reusable cotton rounds? Do you like them?