Going Zero Waste

LastTissue vs Kleenex: An Honest Comparison
The World's Most Famous Tissue vs. Its Reusable Alternative Kleenex is so dominant in the tissue category that its name has become generic — in the UK, "Kleenex" is often used to mean any facial tissue, regardless of brand. It is the benchmark against which any alternative is measured. Here is an honest, feature-by-feature comparison. Softness Kleenex: Tissue softness is achieved through a combination of short, fine fibres, embossing, and in premium lines (Ultra Soft, Balsam), added lotion or aloe vera. Kleenex Balsam in particular is designed for raw, irritated... Read more...
12 Surprising Uses for Cotton Rounds Beyond Skincare
More Than a Makeup Remover Most people think of cotton rounds in one context: removing toner, micellar water, or makeup. But their softness, absorbency, and circular shape make them useful across a surprising range of applications — many of which work just as well with reusable rounds as disposable ones. Beauty and Skincare Beyond the Basics 1. Applying Toner or Essence The classic use. A cotton round absorbs and distributes liquid products evenly across the face without your hands transferring bacteria. For water-based essences and toners, a light-touch application with... Read more...
Cotton Swab Uses Beyond Ear Cleaning
Cotton Swab Uses Beyond Ear Cleaning (And the Reusable Way to Do All of Them)
Most people use cotton swabs for their ears, but that's not what they're designed for. Here are the tasks cotton swabs actually do well — and how to do them... Read more...
Tissue Statistics: The Real Cost of Disposable Tissues
The Numbers Behind Your Tissue Habit Tissues feel trivial — each one is used for seconds and costs a fraction of a penny. But the aggregate numbers tell a different story. Here is a data-driven look at tissue consumption, its cost, and the impact of switching to reusables. Individual Consumption 7–10 boxes per household per year in the UK (Mintel household tissue data) 560–1,000 individual tissues per household per year Cold season spike: tissue use roughly doubles during winter months — a single cold episode can use 50–100 tissues in... Read more...
Cotton Round Statistics: The Numbers Behind Skincare Waste
Putting the Numbers in Context Abstract sustainability arguments are often less compelling than concrete numbers. Here is a data-driven look at cotton round consumption — how many are used, how much they cost, how much waste they generate, and what switching to reusables actually means in measurable terms. Individual Consumption ~730 rounds per year — typical for someone using one round morning and evening ~1,460 rounds per year — for double-cleansing routines or those using rounds for nail polish removal as well ~36,500 rounds over 50 years — the lifetime... Read more...
Cotton Swab Statistics
Cotton Swab Statistics: The Numbers Behind a Billion-Dollar Throwaway Habit
How many cotton swabs are thrown away every day? How many ear injuries do they cause? The data behind the world's most common single-use personal care item. Read more...
How Cotton Rounds Are Made: From Farm to Bathroom
What Is Actually in a Cotton Round? Pull a cotton round from the bag and it feels simple — soft, white, circular. But the manufacturing process that creates it, and the materials it contains, vary significantly between disposable and reusable versions. Understanding the difference matters for making an informed choice. Disposable Cotton Rounds: The Manufacturing Process Most disposable cotton rounds are made via a nonwoven textile process — meaning the fibres are bonded together without weaving or knitting. Fibre preparation: Raw cotton is cleaned of seeds, leaves, and debris (a... Read more...
Reusable Tissues: How LastTissue Is Made
Designing a Better Tissue The design challenge for LastTissue was not primarily the cloth — soft, washable cotton has been used as handkerchief material for centuries. The challenge was the system: how do you carry reusable tissues in daily life without the clean ones becoming contaminated by the used ones? The Two-Chamber Case The silicone case is LastTissue's core innovation. It has two distinct chambers: Clean side: Where fresh, washed tissues are stored, accessible from one opening. Used side: Where used tissues go after use, sealed from the clean side.... Read more...
How Cotton Swabs Are Made
How Cotton Swabs Are Made — And Why the Process Is Fundamentally Wasteful
From cotton field to landfill, a disposable cotton swab passes through a surprisingly resource-intensive supply chain for something used for 30 seconds. Read more...
The History of Cotton Rounds in Beauty
From Cotton Wool Rolls to Skincare Staple The cotton round's journey from practical utility item to ubiquitous bathroom staple spans roughly a century — tracing the parallel rise of commercial cosmetics, post-war convenience culture, and eventually the sustainability backlash that has reshaped how we think about everyday products. Before the Cotton Round: Cloths, Flannel, and Cotton Wool For most of human history, skincare application and removal relied on whatever soft fabric was at hand. In European households, small squares of linen or flannel were common for applying cold creams and... Read more...
The History of the Handkerchief and How Tissues Took Over
Before the Tissue Box For most of recorded history, the cloth handkerchief served every function that disposable tissues serve today. Blowing the nose, wiping tears, dabbing away perspiration, removing cosmetics — all were the province of a small square of woven fabric, carried in a pocket or sleeve, washed, and used again. The Handkerchief as Cultural Object The handkerchief's history stretches back at least to ancient Greece and Rome, where fine linen squares were carried by the wealthy as symbols of refinement. By the European Renaissance, embroidered handkerchiefs had become... Read more...
The History of the Cotton Swab
The History of the Cotton Swab: From a Baby's Bath to a Global Waste Problem
The cotton swab was invented in 1923. One hundred years later, billions are thrown away every day. Here is the full history — and where the story goes next. Read more...
The Environmental Impact of Disposable Cotton Rounds
Why Your Skincare Routine Has a Hidden Waste Problem Cotton rounds are one of the most overlooked contributors to bathroom waste. Small, seemingly harmless, and used for just seconds before being discarded — yet their cumulative environmental impact is significant. If you use two cotton pads per day for toner, micellar water, or nail polish removal, you discard over 700 rounds per year. Multiply that across billions of people and the scale becomes alarming. How Many Cotton Rounds Are Thrown Away Each Year? Globally, billions of disposable cotton rounds are... Read more...
The Environmental Cost of Disposable Tissues
The Paper Product Nobody Questions Tissues are one of the most universally used disposable products in the world — and one of the least examined. We reach for them automatically: a runny nose, a smudged mascara, a spilled drop of coffee. Each tissue is used for seconds, often less, and discarded. At the individual level, the waste feels trivial. Scaled across billions of people, it is substantial. How Many Tissues Are Used Each Year? Global tissue paper production exceeds 40 million tonnes annually — a figure that has grown consistently... Read more...
Environmental Impact of Cotton Swabs
The Environmental Impact of Cotton Swabs: What the Numbers Actually Say
Billions of cotton swabs end up in landfill and oceans every year. Here is what the numbers actually say about the environmental cost of a single cotton swab. Read more...
Is Your Sexlife Eco-Friendly?
Is Your Sexlife Eco-Friendly?
Is your sex life eco-friendly? Well, that’s a question we might not ask ourselves that often, but the bedroom is potentially one overlooked area where we should pay some extra attention.... Read more...
Plastic Fantastic? The Dark Side of Plastic Pollution and How We Can Combat It
Plastic Fantastic? The Dark Side of Plastic Pollution and How We Can Combat It
Did you know that over 5 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in the world's oceans?By 2050, this number is expected to be quadrupled. You’ve probably heard the famous phrase,... Read more...
Advanced Tips To Reduce Waste
Advanced Tips To Reduce Waste
Zero waste can seem like a daunting topic. We hear about it on the news and on social media but it’s hard to know what we as individuals can do.... Read more...
Things That Cannot Be Recycled
Things That Cannot Be Recycled
Recycling is widely considered as one of the more effective ways to protect our environment. Governments, scientists, and environmentalists all tell us to do more of it. But why so?... Read more...
How To Compost In An Apartment: A Guide
How To Compost In An Apartment: A Guide
The sustainable living lifestyle has become increasingly popular recently, as more people realize the importance of limiting their environmental impact. It has led to more people getting involved in composting.... Read more...
Sustainable Events: What Are They & How You Achieve Them?
Sustainable Events: What Are They & How You Achieve Them?
Events are all around us. In our personal lives, this can be for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, or other important dates. Professionally it can entail meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, among other... Read more...
7 Zero-Waste Travel Products to Help the Earth
Zero Waste Travel: How Should You Organize Your Trip?
Traveling is one of life’s great joys. Whether it’s a cross-country train ride or a flight to an exotic locale, journeying to new places comes with anticipation and excitement. However,... Read more...
The Waste from Makeup Removal
The Waste from Makeup Removal — And What to Do About It
The average person who wears makeup daily uses 2–3 disposable cotton pads per session — roughly 730 single-use pads per year. Multiplied across the hundreds of millions of people who... Read more...
Eco travelling: An Easy to Follow Guide
Eco travelling: An Easy to Follow Guide
Seeing new parts of the world is one of life’s great joys. It gives us a chance to encounter new cultures, see new landscapes, and meet new people. However, as... Read more...