Plastic swabs? were once. As a result of the EU plastic ban, manufacturers have switched – to paper, for example. In terms of sustainability, however, there is still room for improvement.
Where there used to be brightly colored plastic cotton swabs on store shelves, alternatives made of bamboo and paper can now be found. Because: Since the summer of 2021, companies in the EU have no longer been allowed to produce single-use products made of plastic – this also includes cotton swabs.
According to the magazine “Öko-Test”, the alternatives are convincing – at least with regard to the material and possible pollutants (issue 5/2022). Of the 25 cotton swabs tested, 21 received a very good rating.
The eco-testers rated the other four products as good. Reason: They were found to have organic halogen compounds. These can trigger allergies and accumulate in the environment. According to “Öko-Test”, these compounds may be residues that arose from the bleaching of the material.
Only four products contain recycled paper
Even if the chopsticks are generally free of harmful substances: In terms of sustainability, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The eco-testers regret that only four of the tested cotton swabs contain recycled paper.
The organic cotton buds from the “Ebelin Nature” brand are the only ones in the test that are made entirely of recycled paper. The organic cotton buds of the brands “Elkos Face”, “Bevola” and “Blackbird” each contain 30 percent recycled paper.
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Incidentally, paper leftovers from industry – for example from printers or packaging factories – are used for these products. According to “Öko-Test”, the fact that so few products contain waste paper can be explained by the currently tight waste paper market. For this reason, the eco-testers refrain from rating the products worse.
Cotton swabs only for cleaning the pinna
Among the products tested were four cotton buds especially for babies, all of which scored very well. “Öko-Test” points out, however, that the sticks should only be used to clean the outer ear – and should not be used in the auditory canal.
Because: In children as well as in adults there is a risk that the cotton swabs will push the earwax deeper into the ear canal. This can lead to inflammation or even damage to the eardrum.
