Sick of dirty tissues all over the place when you have a cold or runny nose? The LastTissue claims to have found a way to keep your tissues from spreading while providing you with reusable cotton tissues.
The product has raised over $400,000 of its $12,000 goal on Kickstarter and reached its primary objective in just 40 minutes. About 6,927 have pledged an average of $39 for three reusable tissue packs.
What is the LastTissue?
The LastTissue is a combo of a tissue box and a good-old-fashioned handkerchief. Six cotton tissues are folded inside a silicon case. There is an opening on the bottom, which allows you to pull out each clean tissue. After using the fabric, you simply put the used tissue on the top of the box. The last tissue includes a silicon tab that separates the used tissues from the clean tissues.
The company claims that each tissue box lasts for 2,800 wipes. When used, the tissues can be washed at 60 degrees in the washing machine and reused up to 460 times. You will need to make sure to fold them correctly for the silicone tab divider to work though.
The LastTissue is a way to save the planet while being soft on your nose. Using their cloth tissues saves 2 liters of water, as it takes three times more energy to produce paper tissues than cotton tissues, the company said on its Kickstarter page.
Backers can choose from six different colors- blue, turquoise, peach, green, and red. There are various pledge levels available from a starter pack of three, up to 14 packs for families.
Who created the LastTissue?
The LastTissue was created by the Copenhagen-based company, LastObject. The company focuses on creating products to reduce single-use items. They have created three other Kickstarter projects, including the LastSwab, a reusable cotton swab that raised over $700,000. Only one of its projects was unsuccessful, a Noise jewelry pendant.
Should you back the LastTissue?
The product is basically an old-fashioned idea cleverly packaged for modern convenience.
You can get a pack of 12 cotton handkerchiefs on Amazon for $12.99, while on Etsy, you can also get bamboo cotton handkerchiefs in handmade boxes.
And while a silicone case might be better than throw away plastic or cardboard, it’s not clear how sustainable it is, as it is not biodegradable. It can be recycled but only at specific facilities. And the same applies to cotton. There is debate about how sustainable it really is. Cotton uses a lot of water to grow, and harmful pesticides can seep into the groundwater, harming the local environment. Not to mention the amount of water and energy needed to clean the used handkerchiefs.
Still, reusing a hankie is probably better than filling up a landfill with used tissues, that are often not broken down due to being thrown in non-biodegradable bags.
