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Cotton Swabs and Their Impact on the Environment

Connor Johnston and Rebecca Gorenstein

March 9th, 2023
ENVL 4300

Environmental impact of action Citation (APA Style)

Product and Q-Tips® (Cotton Swabs) “With the most
its use: soft cotton at the tip than any other swab, Q-
tips® cotton swabs are perfect for arts &
crafts, manicures, makeup application,
cleaning and more!” (Unilever Corporation,
2018). They are also commonly used to
clean your ears, despite the box saying not
to.
Unilever Corporation. (2018, September 13).
Q-TIPS® Cotton Swabs. Q-Tips . Retrieved
February 26, 2023, from
https://www.qtips.com/products/qtips-cotton-
swabs/

It is estimated that roughly thirty five billion Weekly thoughts: Q-tips. Chenmark. (2019,
Q-Tips are used worldwide annually December 16). Retrieved March 5, 2023,
(Chenmark, 2019). from https://chenmark.com/weekly-
thoughts/qtips/

Source “Q-tips® cotton swabs are made with 100%

(farmed, pure cotton (non-sterile)- all natural Unilever Corporation. (2020). FAQ. Q-Tips.
extracted, materials (unlike some other cotton swab Retrieved February 26, 2023, from
harvested) brands). The applicator is made of bonded https://www.qtips.com/faq/#:~:text=Q
Describe how paper and paperboard which is sustainably %2Dtips%C2%AE%20cotton%20swabs
the product is sourced and specially manufactured to %20are%20made%20with
extracted retain its form and to allow for flexibility %20100%25%20pure,flexibility%20and
from the and safety in use. Adhesive is used to %20safety%20in%20use.
ground or maintain the attachment of the cotton fiber
harvested (if to the applicator.” (Unilever Corporation,
 2

it is grown, 2020).
what goes into
growing that The cotton in the q tips must be grown and
product harvested. Cotton is the most profitable non
(irrigation, food crop. It is predicted that worldwide Okafor, J. (2022, June 2). Environmental
fertilizers, cotton production releases an estimated 220 impact of cotton from growing, farming &
pesticides, million metric tons of carbon dioxide consuming. TRVST. Retrieved February 27,
energy used annually (Okafor, 2022). Cotton is also a 2023, from
in mechanized water intensive crop to grow. It is said that https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fas
equipment “About 20,000 liters of water is needed to hion/environmental-impact-of-cotton/
etc.) produce a kilogram of cotton fiber”
(Okafor, 2022). In a world of limited water
supply, cotton intensifies this issue by
diverting limited supply to a crop that needs
even more water in manufacturing
processes and cannot be eaten. The average
cotton swab has approximately .1 grams of Cotton Swab. How Products Are Made.
cotton (How Products are Made, 2023). (2023). Retrieved March 8, 2023, from
That translates to .0001kg of cotton. That http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Cotton-
means it takes approximately 2 liters of Swab.html
water to produce the cotton for one cotton
swab (meaning a 500 pack uses 1000 liters
for just cotton!). Cotton is also one of the
most heavily fertilized crops in the world.
Worldwide cotton production is estimated
to use “8 million tonnes of synthetic
fertilizers and 200,000 tonnes of pesticides
globally every year” (Okafor, 2022).
Fertilization comes with a slew of its own Kilgore, G. (2023, February 23). How many
environmental consequences such as pieces of paper in a tree (the real scientific
eutrophication of lakes, streams, rivers, answer). 8 Billion Trees: Carbon Offset
oceans, etc. from nonpoint source pollution. Projects & Ecological Footprint Calculators.
 3

Another ingredient in the Q-Tip is the paper

used to make the stick. The stick is paper Retrieved February 27, 2023, from
which is a product of wood. A tree is https://8billiontrees.com/trees/how-many-
estimated to have between 10,000 and pieces-of-paper-in-a-tree/#:~:text=pound
20,000 sheets of paper (Kilgore, 2023). %20of%20paper.-,Since%20the%20weight
%20of%20an%20average%20500%2Dsheet
%20packet%20of,recycled%20during%20the
I measured the dimensions of a Q-Tip and %20pulping%20process.
found the length to be 3 inches and diameter
.5 inches (.25 inches radius). This gets a
volume of .59 cubic inches. I found a sheet
of paper’s dimensions to be 8.5 by 11
by .005 which equals .4675 cubic inches.
This means that one stick takes
approximately 25% more material than a
sheet of paper.

Cotton production leads to land degradation

as the land is transformed into a
monoculture instead of being used for other
things like housing development or forests.
Harvesting wood causes forest degradation
which is essential to climate change as trees
sequester carbon.

Methocel: adhesive used to connect cotton

tip to the stick

The packaging for “the 170ct sleeve & tray

pack is recyclable once the window is
removed” (Unilever Corporation, 2020).
However, this implies the plastic window
must be thrown in the garbage.

What -Bacitracin Ointment
ancillary Using Q-tips to apply Bacitracin ointment
products are rather than your fingers is a sanitary
used in the alternative. The Q-tip allows for the
use of your Bacitracin to be put in a single area and not
product? spread to unwanted areas of skin. Bacitracin
E.g. if you is a topical first aid antibiotic and it is used
picked to treat “minor skin injuries, including cuts,
showering scrapes, and burns” (Nguyen et al., 2022).
with towels, Additionally, “there is no mention of
you need hot toxicity with the topical use of bacitracin as
and cold a single-agent ointment” (Nguyen et al.,
water, soap, 2022). The exact environmental impact of
shampoo, Bacitracin is not currently known. It has
lotion etc. been found that “no specific information is
Pick three currently available on the effect of this
and discuss product on plants or animals in the
impacts environment” and it is “not expected to be
harmful to aquatic organisms” (2015).
However, certain measures should be taken
“including procedures to prevent spills,
atmospheric release and release to
waterways” (2015). No component of
bacitracin is known to “have ozone
depletion potential” (2015). However, using
Q-tips for bacitracin application results in
more single-use waste and disposal.
-Nail Polish Remover
Many people use Q-tips to help clean up
their nails or to clean them off completely
4
would the cardboard box/sometimes
plastic for the q tips go in this section or
the one above?
Nguyen R, Khanna NR, Safadi AO, et al.
Bacitracin Topical. [Updated 2022 Nov 21].
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island
(FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.
Available from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53
6993/
Nail Polish removers. Safe Cosmetics. (2022,
May 24). Retrieved March 7, 2023, from
https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/nail
-polish-removers/
Artincontext. (2021, September 29). What is
acrylic paint? - acrylic paint uses,
ingredients, and more. artincontext.org.
Retrieved March 6, 2023, from
https://artincontext.org/what-is-acrylic-paint/
Kathy, K. (2020, February 1).
Environmentally friendly art supplies for the
win! Clarify Green. Retrieved March 7, 2023,
from
https://clarifygreen.com/environmentally-
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by using nail polish remover. Nail polish

removers are typically made of Isopropyl
acetone, MEK and NMP. Acetone is
relatively safe when used in small amounts.
One of the biggest issues with acetone is
when it is in its gaseous state. It is
extremely flammable and may cause an
explosion. It is considered a volatile organic
compound, according to the National
Pollutant Inventory.
friendly-art-supplies-for-the-win/
Safety Data Sheet . Certified Safety MFG.
(2015, June 1). Retrieved March 9, 2023,
from
https://www.certifiedsafetymfg.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/01/WaterJel-Burn-
Dressings.pdf

-Acrylic paint
Q-tips may be used in art. Some people use
them with acrylic paint in order to add
different textures or effects to an art project.
Acrylic paint contains three ingredients:
pigment, an acrylic binder, and an acrylic
vehicle. The pigment in acrylic paint is what
gives the paint its color. Most pigments are
made in a factory using chemicals, however
some pigments can be made with organic or
inorganic products as well. The acrylic
binder is known as an acrylic polymer. The
acrylic vehicle is the water that helps
transport the binder and the pigment.
Acrylic paints are not good for the
environment. When the polymers and the
pigments all dry, these components of the
vehicle evaporate, releasing water,
propylene glycol, and ammonia into the air.
Some acrylic mediums also release
formaldehyde as they dry. There are paints
that are labeled as non-toxic, however this
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refers to being non-toxic for humans. This

does not mean that they are safe for the
environment. Some non-toxic paints contain
propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is safe
for human consumption, but it can be really
damaging for aquatic environments when
washed down the drain. Acrylic pain also is
not biodegradable as it is made up of a
synthetic resin binder (acrylic polymer
emulsion), which is basically plastic. The
large quantities of chemicals that go into
making acrylic paint can leach into
waterways and soil.

What is the Q tips are made of 100% cotton and “the

impact of the applicator is made of bonded paper and Unilever Corporation. (2020). FAQ. Q-Tips.
use of your paperboard” (Unilever Corporation, 2020). Retrieved March 8, 2023, from
product on a The amount of fertilizer, water and paper https://www.qtips.com/faq/#:~:text=Q
weekly basis? that goes into the making of this product has %2Dtips%C2%AE%20cotton%20swabs
(how many been previously mentioned. Additionally, %20are%20made%20with
other the number of pounds of carbon dioxide %20100%25%20pure,flexibility%20and
materials go emitted in the production of Q-tips is not %20safety%20in%20use.
into using currently available.
that product,
and how
many pounds
of carbon
dioxide are
produced in
the process-
only if
numbers are
available)
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Disposal of Q-Tips are able to be composted because

product at the they are made of natural materials, if you Recycling & rubbish. Recycling & Rubbish |
end of its use. buy a brand with a plastic shaft then they West St. Paul, MN - Official Website. (n.d.).
have to go in the trash (Recycling & Retrieved February 27, 2023, from
Rubbish). They are single use so once used https://wspmn.gov/270/Recycling-Rubbish#!
they must be disposed of (unless you are rc-cpage=242520
really fing’ disgusting).
Unfortunately, people believe Q-Tips can be Burr, A. (2020, January 30). 5 Ways Cotton
disposed of by flushing them. This Swabs Impact the planet. LastObject.
contributes to clogging sewer systems with Retrieved March 8, 2023, from
unnecessary garbage so this should be https://lastobject.com/blogs/sustainability-
avoided at all costs. When thrown in the 101/cotton-swab-impact
garbage, they are likely to end up in
landfills. There they will contribute methane
and carbon dioxide to our warming planet.
Since Q-tips are a single-use product, they
must be disposed of after every single use.
If someone uses them once a day or even
multiple times a day, this can become
problematic in terms of the environmental
impact. This is because “when we waste
cotton and plastic in the form of a single use
cotton swab, we are likely to keep this trend
going in other parts of our lives” by using
other single use products and not thinking
twice about their environmental impact
(Burr, 2020).

How can we Using different ear cleaning techniques and

reduce the beauty routines can minimize environmental LastSwab. LastObject. (n.d.). Retrieved
environmenta impact. A reusable swab has been invented March 8, 2023, from
l impacts of called “LastSwab” in which the product is https://lastobject.com/products/lastswab?
the made of “Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastic”
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product/activi (LastObject). This enables users to “reduce

ty? your CO2 footprint by 83% vs using single- variant=39728713564237
use q-tips” (LastObject). Furthermore, “the
rod is made of glass fiber and
polypropylene, a plastic that requires much
less energy when manufactured and
produces the lowest carbon dioxide
emissions vs other plastics” (LastObject).
These reusable swabs can be cleaned using
soap and water or any disinfectant you
desire. It even comes in a little case that is
made of recycled ocean-bound plastic
mentioned before, so it is easily transported.
These reusable swabs come in a number of
shapes and sizes designed for different uses.
For example, they can be round or sharp,
and they even have a line designed for
babies for their ears/nose, eyes, and cream
application. Not only are these swabs good
for babies and ear cleaning, they can also be
used for beauty. Whether it is for being used
with nail polish remover or makeup, this
swab is perfect for everything. You can
“clean your ears, separate eyelashes, apply
ointments or however you normally use
swabs” (LastSwab). They are available to
purchase in a number of retailers such as
Amazon, Anthropologie, Sprouts Farmers
Markets, their own website, etc.

Other issues? Q-Tips present a large safety issue. The box Ameen, Z. S., Chounthirath, T., Smith, G. A.,
says “Do not insert swab into ear canal”. & Jatana, K. R. (2017). Pediatric Cotton-Tip
Despite this, people do it anyway. The Applicator-Related Ear Injury Treated in

journal of pediatrics says that “Between
1990 and 2010, an estimated 263,338
children aged <18 years were treated for
CTA-related ear injuries in US hospital
EDs” (Ameen et. al., 2017).
9
United States Emergency Departments, 1990-
2010. The Journal of pediatrics, 186, 124–
130.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.03.049