January Sustainable Swap: Reusable Cotton Rounds
Happy New Year Everyone! I know I’m a little late to the game, but I feel like I’ve had a bit of slow start to 2021. Anyone else feeling this way? One of my goals for this year is to create small changes in my daily routine bringing me closer to living a more sustainable lifestyle. Each month I have vowed to make one sustainable swap focusing on reducing the amount of waste I produce. This month I have chosen to switch from single-use cotton rounds to reusable cotton rounds! I actually received The Green Co. set of ten Reusable Cotton Rounds in my fall 2020 causebox. I wanted to use up what I had left of the single-use cotton rounds before breaking these babies out.
The Facts
1.3 billion makeup remover wipes are thrown into the trash every day
7.6 billion pounds of makeup remover wipes fill landfills each year
Makeup remover wipes are the third most wasteful product in the world
These wipes may take over a hundred years to decompose
Reusable cotton rounds can replaces up to 12,000 cotton balls or facial rounds
In addition, makeup remover wipes and cotton rounds are usually packaged in single-use plastic filling up landfills
The Product
I am currently using The Green Co. Reusable Cotton Rounds, which comes in a pack of fourteen (mine came in a pack of ten) and includes a mesh bag for easy washing and storing. These reusable rounds are double-sided: one side is made of bamboo fibers which is more exfoliating in texture and the other side is made from cotton velvet which is incredibly soft and gentle. These rounds are 100 percent natural and vegan. They can be hand-washed or machine-washed and can be air-dried or machine-dried. I typically throw them in the laundry machine with my sheets and towels to wash and dry. Good as new every time!
How It’s Going
I used to use single-use cotton rounds to remove my makeup and apply toner after washing my face. I never really thought about how big of an impact one cotton round or makeup wipe really had, but after seeing the numbers it’s small habits like this that add up. The good news is that making the switch to reusable cotton rounds has not been a hard transition and has a big impact. I made the swap a couple weeks ago and I can’t believe I didn’t switch sooner. I actually enjoy using these reusable rounds much more because of the exfoliating side to get off any stubborn makeup.
I also found another great use for these cotton rounds is to clean my glasses. They are gentle enough on my lens that they won’t scratch or strip the lenses of any important coatings. Just spray a little cleaner from the eyeglass store and swipe ‘em over your glasses. Just as they are gentle enough for your glasses, these reusable rounds can also be used to clean your phone screen. With all the germs our phones have accumulated, it’s also good to give it a good clean once and awhile!
The only difference I saw while using the reusable cotton rounds is they do require you to use a little more product then I would normally use. The rounds tend to soak up some of my toner or make up remover so I end up just using a little more product than usual. I think that is a small compromise to make in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle and reduce my waste.
My Final Thoughts
I love The Green Co Reusable Cotton Rounds and I will definitely continue to use them in place of the single-use cotton rounds to reduce my waste. (Enjoy this funny picture of me trying to get a cute pic throwing the cotton rounds haha)
I hope you enjoyed hearing about my January sustainable swap and that you’ll stick around for my journey to living a more sustainable lifestyle!
Have you made sustainable swaps recently? Have any ideas for the upcoming months? Drop me a note in the comments :)
