Are there alternatives to disposable everyday items? Last Object

If you were to make an inventory of all the single use items you use on a regular basis, how many items would be on your list? (for a refresher on the impact of single use items, check out this blog post!)

If you were to categorize these single use items, would you find that many of them are personal hygiene/care products? If you answered yes, you’re not alone! These types of single use products can be some of the hardest ones to ditch.

If you are just starting out on your zero/low waste journey you might not even be aware that products like reusable cotton swabs exist. Who would have thought?! On the other hand, you might be finding it difficult to find a reusable personal care product that works for you and your needs. After all, what works best for your favourite low waste blogger may not be as great for you.

Whatever the case, investing in good-quality, sustainably produced, and long-lasting personal care products will help you with your journey towards greener living!

About Last Object

Last Object is a company that is based in Copenhagen, Denmark which produces reusable and sustainable alternatives to single use personal care items.

Last Object has three main values that guide their production methods and help them meet their goal of providing the world with sustainable choices:

1. “Our products must have at least 10x real environmental impact vs the traditional single use products they replace.”
2. “We build premium products with high usability and excellent design – ‘good enough’ is not good enough – we are obsessed with our products.”
3. “We are end-to-end sustainable across our entire value chain, from cradle to grave.”

Isabel Aagaard, the founder of Last Object, was inspired by her own frustration with single use products to create the Last Object sustainable and reusable alternatives. The items that are currently available for purchase include:

LastSwab Basic and LastSwab Beauty

LastSwab is a reusable and sanitary alternative to cotton swabs which, depending on the type, are often made using cotton, plastic, or paper. These reusable q-tips are stored in a case made from recycled ocean plastics.

LastSwabs are made from flexible non-toxic materials which are gentle against the skin and are easy to clean. The basic version is great for cleaning ears, while the beauty version has a pointed tip to help with makeup touch ups and cleaning tight spaces.

Are these reusable swabs less sanitary than traditional cotton ones? Nope! Just wash it with some warm water and soap between each use and you’re good to go!

Keep in mind that acetone (nail polish remover) should not be used on your LastSwab. This could damage the “cotton” part which is made out of a TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers). 

LastRound

LastRound is a reusable alternative to cotton makeup pads. The case, which is BPA free and is made from plants instead of petroleum, holds cotton rounds that can be used over 1500 times.

These rounds are made of fabric that is 70% Scandinavian wood fibres and 30% organic cotton that is salvaged from the textile industry. This fabric will mold to the contours of your face and feel just like regular cotton rounds when liquid is applied.

The bonus is that they use far less cotton than traditional cotton rounds! This is significant, as the production of 1000 cotton rounds uses around 10,000 litres of water.

Each case contains 7 reusable cotton pads so that you can go multiple days before they need to be washed!

LastTissue

LastTissue is a portable case that contains six organic cotton tissues. This product can be thought of as a combination between disposable tissue packets and a handkerchief. Disposable tissue packets are problematic as they use up multiple resources, create waste, and emit greenhouse gases during their production…all to be used up and thrown away.

Handkerchiefs on the other hand are a more sustainable alternative, but they tend to get dirty fast and can be quite bulky.

LastTissue has a sleek silicone case that separates clean tissues from dirty ones. Each tissue can be washed up to 520 times and the case is dishwasher safe.

You can also purchase tissue refills and an organic cotton laundry bag for washing your tissues.

Make an environmental swap today!

These products are a great way to live cleaner without sacrificing convenience. Let’s face it…sustainable behaviour changes are often avoided due to perceived sacrifice and loss of convenience, resulting in negative environmental impacts.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Wonderful and innovative new products are coming out all the time to help us live greener in a way that is sustainable.

Once you find the right methods and products, living green is easier than ever! And I love the fact that by purchasing these sustainable products I get to be a part of the market shift towards a greener economy and a greener norm. Plus, I get to give my money to a company that holds similar values to mine - doing better for the planet and people. That is win-win-win!