They started as reusable Q-tips. They’ve been around for less than a century yet they’ve now managed to contribute to an estimated 1-6% of plastic polution in our oceans.*
It all started in 1923…
Cotton swabs were first produced in 1923 by Polish-American Leo Gerstenzang. A great invention for the time that only started to become a problem in the 1950’s when single-use culture prompted a swap from wood for plastic and we started using millions everyday.
1.5 Billion
single-use swabs are produced every day as of 2020.These disposable swabs require resources to produce, ship, and package them all to be thrown out after one use.
The waste
Plastic cotton swabs are often incorrectly flushed down the toilet, increasing the risk of marine pollution.
The future looks better…
As of 2021, the EU, Monoco and the UK have banned the sale of single-use plastic swabs with many more countries planning on following suit. So it looks like the future is reusable, sustainable versions.
