Tesco and Sainsbury’s have agreed to replace the plastic stems in their own-brand cotton buds by the end of 2017.
The two supermarkets came under pressure after a 140,000-strong petition called on them, and other retailers, to make the change.
City to Sea is the campaign group behind the #SwitchtheStick petition. It says that cotton bud stems are the largest source of plastic debris from sewers on the UK’s beaches and rivers.
The move comes shortly after Waitrose, Co-op and Johnson & Johnson announced similar changes earlier this year.
The petition is still asking Morrisons, Superdrug and Boots to remove plastic from their cotton bud products.
Consumers are increasingly concerned about plastic pollution in the ocean. Many governments are considering a ban on the use of microbeads in cosmetics and the UK recently saw a dramatic reduction in its use of plastic carrier bags after a mandatory 5p charge was introduced.