KICK LANDFILL WASTE RIGHT IN THE COTTON BALLS
Considering that it takes about 2700 litres of water to make enough cotton for a t-shirt, opting for pads that can be recycled seems to be an easy choice.
But still. I use one pad a night. That is 7 pads a week. Around 28 a month. 336 per year. And that is just me. Consider the total of women in the world who go through a similar ritual per day. Jikes. That’s millions and millions per year! Even though cotton can be recycled, the production process costs millions liters of water. Which is not comparable to washing these along with your clothes one time a week.
I found this cute crochet design for making pads of cotton fiber. I made them a year ago, but didn’t really use them. Gradually, I got on track with my environmental quest again, and started to use them daily. And actually, they are not as good as cotton pads… they are even better! They do absorb more of the oil that I use, so that’s a little minus, but on the plus side, they exfoliate my face and my skin has been feeling better then ever. They work quite perfect for me.
CLEANING THE PADS
So I have bought another ball of cotton yarn and started to make more. They are easy to store in a cute container in the bathroom and can be collected in a little wash net. Just wash them in the machine, the net will keep them in one piece. Mascara is hard to remove from the pads, but they are still clean and usable, even when they appear a little stained. Maybe I could use some lemon juice to bleach them back to their original whiteness.
The fun thing is, when you make them yourself, you can use any shade of cotton you’d like. If you like pink pads, go right ahead! Just pick 100% cotton to craft them with, and go for biological one’s if you can find it! I also found a brand which sells bamboo yarn, which could also be a nice alternative!
MAKE THEM!
The pattern can be found below on the blog of “What You Sow”. They are easy to make, and if you aren’t that handy, you can order them here. I might be able to make some for you as well. If you do not like them, there are other reusable cloths on the market that will do the exact same thing. And want it to be really easy: just cut an (old) towel to tiny squares, that will do the trick just as well!
So, ditch the cotton make-up pads and go for reusable ones! Now the thing I still need is a substitute for cotton swabs.. I use wooden ones with cotton tips, but there should be an alternative right? Onwards with the search!
Other interesting links on the subject of cotton balls replacement:
- Cotton balls are over
- Eco cotton rounds
- Reusable cotton rounds beat cotton balls in plastic or paper packaging
- Alternative to cotton wool?
- Follow-Up On Debutante Face Scrubbies
Where to buy them:
- Kick landfill waste right in the cotton balls
- Face Scrubbies Facial Scrubbie Washcloth Cotton Facial Cleansing Pads Makeup Remover Pads
- PureNuffStuff Washable Cleaning Pads
If you run a (Google) search you can find many options available for purchase in your own country.
