Press Release
LastSwab Reusable Swab by LastObject Wins the Golden A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
LastObject acknowledged for sustainable products, projects and green design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that LastSwab Reusable Swab by LastObject has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design category. The result belongs to the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Golden A' Design Award
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
About LastSwab Reusable Swab
LastSwab is a reusable swab created as an alternative to single-use cotton swabs. LastSwab can be used up to a thousand times and is easy to use and easy to clean. The shape is designed to feel like a familiar cotton swab. Two versions are made: a Basic version for general use and a Beauty version with an angled tip for correcting make-up. Both versions come in a carrying case made from recycled ocean-bound plastic, which is also used for the rod. The tip is made of thermoplastic elastomer and does not absorb water.
About LastObject
LastObject is on a mission to eliminate single-use items by creating reusable sustainable alternatives. Their purpose is to provide the world with sustainable choices. LastObject has three core values: Their products must have at least 10 times real environmental impact vs the traditional single-use products they replace. They build premium products with high usability and excellent design. Good enough is not good enough. They are end-to-end sustainable across their entire value chain, from cradle to grave.
Award Record
With this recognition, LastObject is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Award
The A' Sustainable Product Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sustainable products by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sustainable product designers, green product manufacturers, eco-friendly product brands and industrial designers from all countries. Entries typically include sustainable projects, environment friendly designs, recycled, upcycled and bio-degradable products. Awarded sustainable product designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/sustainable-product
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/122832
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/122832
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!122832
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/303691
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://lastobject.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- LastSwab Reusable Swab
- Function
- Reusable Swab
- Category
- Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Sustainability
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Gray, Silver, Dark Olive Green and Dark Sea Green
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- LastObject
- Country
- Denmark
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #122832
Credits
- Team
- Isabel Aagaard, Nicolas Aagaard and Kåre Frandsen
- Image Credits
- Image #1, Photographer Tetiana Kolosko, 2021 Optional Image #1, Photographer Tetiana Kolosko, 2021 Optional Image #2, Photographer Tetiana Kolosko, 2021 Optional Image #3, Photographer Tetiana Kolosko, 2021 Optional Image #4, Photographer Tetiana Kolosko, 2021 Video Credits:Edvinas Maciulevicius and Louise B.Maciulevicius, silksocial.co, 2020
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- LastSwab is a reusable and sustainable alternative to single-use cotton swabs. LastSwab is designed to be used up to a thousand times and to be easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly designed to feel like the swabs we are used to. It is made in two versions, a Basic version to replace the purpose of a cotton swab, and a Beauty version with an angled tip for correcting make-up. Both come in a carrying case made from recycled ocean-bound plastic, which is also used for the rod of the swab.
- Inspiration
- Every day 1.5 billion disposable cotton swabs are produced and every year an average person uses hundreds of them. To manufacture a disposable cotton swab resources have to be taken out of the ground, moved to a production facility, produced, packaged, shipped, and then purchased by a consumer. This entire procedure requires the cotton swab to be used once and then discarded. By using LastSwab we eliminate the need to produce and use resources that are unnecessary.
- Research
- Online search will usually lead to scientific or business reports. Ultimately we'll create several "life cycle assessment" reports for each of our products to understand the impact better. It starts with the question: Does this need to be a single-use item? We used Google and Wikipedia which then led us to more hard facts. We do user trials with prototypes. Our process is quite circular: research, design, tests, feedback, design changes, or new research and repeat.
- Challenge
- The hardest part is creating something new, while at the same time not forcing change upon the user. We all know how hard it is to change our habits. If you create a product that expects the user to change a habit you risk them buying it but not using it. This would defeat the purpose of LastObject. Creating something beautiful, durable, simple, environmentally friendly, and self-explanatory is also important, but less of a challenge.
- Realization and Technology
- In collaboration with Resea Project, ocean-bound plastic is collected and driven to a factory where it is transformed into plastic pellets. Afterward, the plastic pellets are pressed through an injection mold and into molds that shape the rod. Then the rod is mechanically removed, turned, and over-molded. In the next step, the tip made of TPE is applied to the rod. Finally, the swab is put into the carrying case, which undergoes the same stage of production as the rod, only in a different mold.
- Operation and Interaction
- When using LastSwab, simply take it out of the carrying case and use it for any purpose you may have. It can be used for anything that you would use a regular cotton swab for. It does not absorb water. After using it, you can clean it with hot water and soap. The beauty swab has an angled tip that is made for correcting make-up.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in November 2018 in Copenhagen and LastSwab launched on the crowdfunding platforms Kickstarter and IndieGoGo in April 2019. LastSwab is now available on our own website.
- Specifications
- LastSwab (in carrying case): Width 109 mm x Depth 18 mm x Height 14 mm
- Keywords
- Reusable, Sustainable, Swab, Buds, Q Tip, Alternative, Ocean Bound Plastic, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Ears
