Would you ever reuse a Q-tip? How about a facial tissue? Most people would say no, and that's understandable. But some designers have come up with a way to use those same products over and over again, without the “ew” factor.

The company LastObject has one goal and it's to cut down on waste from disposable products. Right now, they have reuseable Q-tips, facial tissues and makeup rounds. The Q-tip was their first product.

Creators say there was a big movement on cutting the use of straws, but people didn't think of how other everyday products create so much waste.

“When people throw them out in single-use versions, in your toilet, they're flushed through. Even here in Denmark, we have a really good water system, but they go through the filtration system, so they actually end up directly into the oceans,” said Isabel Aagaard, cofounder of LastObject.

The Q-tips are made out of a sturdy nylon rod and the swabs are made out of a silicone material that can be easily cleaned. They're meant to be used 1,000 times.

The facial tissues are made from cotton and are sewn in a way that makes them hygienic and can withstand being washed repeatedly.

Right now, LastObject focuses on toiletries, but would eventually like to create reusable kitchen products too.

“We're not the only ones that are in this field right now, which is amazing. I think that we're really seeing a paradigm shift right now in the culture and the habits about how people really want to make a difference,” said Aagaard.

There are other products that aim to be environmentally friendly, but they are not necessarily single-use. There are a lot of plastic-free toothbrushes now, usually made with bamboo.

SHOREWOOD, Wisc. — In Shorewood, Wisconsin, residents who need a tool, a tent, or maybe some gardening equipment can pull from a growing virtual shed shared among neighbors.

Scott Yanoff started the Shorewood Shed about a year ago.

"I'd been thinking about a power washer, and I was probably going to rent it, and I thought somebody must have a power washer. How would I find out how somebody has that?" Yanoff said.

Yanoff built a website and started the shed by offering his tools and resources. Since then, the shed has grown among neighbors offering more than 150 items to loan.

The website brings together residents who are happy to loan items with those looking to borrow. Yanoff said it's called "crowdlending."

TMJ4

"Our most popular category would be tools, so that would be things like hand tools. There’s a lot of saws in there, a lot of lawn and garden equipment, medical equipment, recreation equipment. There are board games in there," Yanoff said.

Residents visit the site, see if the item they need is listed and contact the neighbor over email or Facebook. Anyone can offer an item to loan.

"Before I go onto Amazon, I literally just check the Shorewood Shed to see if it’s available for us before I buy anything," said resident Caroline Kreitlow.

Kreitlow first heard about the shed on Facebook and found it useful several times, most recently when she needed a jigsaw.

"Not only is it nice to save money, but it builds community. It’s really nice because Shorewood's only one square mile, and it’s really nice to just show up at someone’s house I’ve never met before and be like, 'Oh, you’re my neighbor! Thanks for borrowing me this,'" Kreitlow said.

Another benefit to the shed is sustainability.

"If you can borrow an item instead of buying it, you’re not adding to the consumerist society where you’re creating something that eventually becomes a product that’s thrown away," said Yanoff.

"Just return it when you’re done, and everybody’s really respectful about it. It’s a really nice thing to have," said Kreitlow.

About one year into it, Yanoff said he hopes the shed continues to grow.

"I would just encourage people to examine the website even if they don’t live in Shorewood because it could be a model that I'd be willing to help others within other parts of this community," said Yanoff.

Mary Jo Ola at TMJ4 first reported this story.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is helping save the planet one pile of poop at a time.

And they have a lot of it.

"One of the first things that struck me is how much poop we have," said Mark Fisher, vice president of facilities at the zoo, which has partnered with a firm to process some 2 million pounds of organic waste each year into fertilizer to help sustain its facilities.

Since being dubbed the "Greenest Zoo in America" in 2010, the zoo has set a goal of producing enough of its own renewable energy to meet its annual consumption needs by 2025.

"We were just sending it to the landfill, and there's got to be a better way," Fisher said.

The zoo has partnered with a company in Ireland to use an aerobic digester to "cook" the waste material and break it down into fertilizer. The fertilizer then is used at a farm in Warren County that grows food for the zoo animals and will be available to the zoo's neighbors in Avondale to improve the quality of their own soil.

Raven Richard/WCPO

The final product's unofficial name: Fionalizer, after the zoo's beloved young hippo, Fiona.

"We'll see if that sticks, but I kind of like it. We'll see if that holds," Fisher said.

The material that could be sent to the digester includes anything organic: fish, feed, manure and grasses, among other waste matter.

Fisher said this type of technology at this scale is a Cincinnati first.

"There's no one else doing this in this town or, quite frankly, within a hundred miles that I know of," he said. "I've already gotten about a dozen phone calls from other zoos across the country saying, 'Let me know how that goes.'"

The digester solution has been a slow burn, though, and is still in its trial phase. It has taken nearly a decade to develop the technology as it's being used today, which still only processes roughly 20-30% of the zoo's organic waste.

The zoo said fertilizer could be available for neighbors in Avondale as soon as next month.