Are Bamboo Cotton Buds Good for the Environment?

We asked Bamboo Buds in Bolton the question “are bamboo cotton buds good for the environment?” and when they answered yes, we challenged them to explain how.

This article will detail why they are good for the environment.

What the alternatives to bamboo cotton buds?

Before we access the benefits of bamboo cotton buds, we must first look at the alternatives. There are 2 alternatives to bamboo cotton buds, which are made from plastic and paper.

Plastic Cotton buds

Plastic cotton bud stems are pretty much always made from a plastic called polypropylene. The reason it’s used is, it’s very cheap, lightweight, and strong. It is therefore perfect for making stems for cotton buds.
The downside of using a light plastic like polypropylene is that it floats. A small item like a cotton bud, that floats, will easily pass through wastewater filtration systems and sewage treatment plants.

Plastic cotton buds are amongst a vast range of the available sanitary products that get flushed down toilets instead of being put in a bin. Whilst plastic cotton buds are not the main culprit, somewhere between 4 and 12 million tonnes of single-use plastic products find their way into our waterways and oceans each year.

These unsustainable and damaging levels of pollution prompted the UK Government to ban a range of single use plastic products, which came into force at the start of October 2020. The ban focused on plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, and plastic stirrers.

Prior to ban coming into force it is estimated we used 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers, and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England every year, many of which found their way into our waterways and oceans.

Paper Cotton Buds

When compared to other manufacturing industries, the paper industry consumes large amounts of energy, which produces greenhouse gases and it also creates many pollutants.

A paper published on Science Direct states the following about the paper industry – “The waste generated from the pulp and paper industry causes severe harm to the aquatic life, disturbs the food chain, and also causes various health implications.”

The other downside of paper cotton buds is that they are not very strong and bend very easily. Whilst this may not be a major issue when you are cleaning your ears, let’s not forget, cotton buds are also widely used in arts and crafts, for applying makeup, and widely used by vets and pet owners for cleaning the eyes, ears and other parts of a wide range of pets and animals.

Are ALL bamboo cotton buds eco-friendly?

No, they are not, is the simple answer. Bamboo Buds covered this issue in more detail in a recent article entitled “What is Green Washing?”.

Simply claiming bamboo cotton buds are eco-friendly because they are made of bamboo, can be very misleading because some bamboo growers adopt a method called “Slash and Burn Bamboo Cultivation”, which is not an eco-friendly practice.

Another issue with some bamboo buds is that they are supplied in either a plastic bag or a plastic box, which is nullifying the eco-benefits of using bamboo if the makers are simply going to package them in plastic.

Are bamboo cotton buds biodegradable?

Yes, they are, is the simple answer and this is the subject of another article Bamboo Buds recently published.

Similar questions asked on this subject are also:

Are bamboo cotton buds compostable? and Can you recycle bamboo cotton buds?

The answer to both these questions is a simple “yes”.

Good quality bamboo cotton buds, from reputable suppliers will also have the following characteristics:

• They are made from sustainable sources of bamboo.
• They have tips made with 100% organic cotton, again from sustainable sources.
• They come in a paper or cardboard box made from recycled sources.
• They use eco-friendly inks for their branding and packaging.

Do Bamboo Buds meet all these eco-friendly specifications?

In short, they practice what we preach. When they started Bamboo Buds, they very deliberately ensured they met all the requirements needed to be able to claim their bamboo cotton buds met all the criteria to be considered amongst the very best on the market, both in terms of quality and eco-credentials.

• Their bamboo is grown by two FSC accredited, relatively small independent bamboo growers.
• Their cotton is 100% organic and also comes from sustainable sources.
• Their finished product is medically sterile.
• Their finished product is vegan accredited.
• Their packaging is made from recycled paper, and they use environmentally friendly inks.
• Their international shipping company was chosen specifically for their carbon neutral credentials.
• Their UK shipping partner also has carbon natural credentials and use 100% renewable electricity in their UK based operations.

Bamboo Buds are only £3.99 for 400 super strong, super gentle, sterile cotton buds and are available in their online store.

For more information about Bamboo Buds, please watch their video below.