Popular single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds are banned in England from today, with new legislation forbidding their sale and distribution on a bid to tackle plastic pollution.
From 1 October, it’s illegal for businesses to sell or supply these formerly common items except to people with disabilities or medical conditions who require them.
People in England are estimated to use a whopping 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds each year, so many will be looking for something to fill this new gap in their lives.
If you’re one of those people, never fear – there are plenty of alternatives to cotton buds out there…
Reusable or biodegradable cotton buds
If you don’t want to say goodbye to cotton buds altogether, LastObject sells a reusable cotton bud called LastSwab which they claim is ‘tested to withhold up to 1000 uses.’
Available in ‘basic’ rounded tips or ‘makeup’ with one tip pointed, these buds cost £10 and come in 10 different colours.
You can also get biodegradeable and compostable cotton swabs like Panda Stix, which are made from 100% pure cotton & organic bamboo.
Use a damp cloth
It’s important to note that earwax is actually a good thing, as it traps dirt and dust, stopping it from travelling further into your ear. On top of that, standard skin regeneration and the movement of your jaw should push old wax out of your ear canal anyway, so there’s really no need to stick a cotton bud in there.
With that in mind, you should still be cleaning the outer area of your ears. To do this, all you need to do is take a warm damp cloth, stick your finger in it and run it around the outer curves of your ear.
Olive Oil
If you’re struggling with a buildup of earwax, you should first visit your doctor, who can advise you of any next steps and check for other issues.
If you’ve got the all-clear from them, a good home remedy is olive oil. Putting a couple drops of olive oil in your ear twice a day for a few days will loosen your earwax and help it ease itself out. You can also buy specialised earwax softener which works in a similar way.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/01/cotton-bud-ban-alternatives-to-plastic-cotton-buds-13354643/
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