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Q-Tip brand q-tips are made of paper. As far as I'm concerned, they're the superior product all around, all the alternatives I've seen have inferior fluffiness. I'm not usually one for brand loyalty, but in this instance I haven't been able to find any generic version that's satisfactory.

Those flosser things are among the worst offenders these days. When I go camping, I always see them littered around campsites.

The paper ones are too soft though, you can't put enough pressure to scrape the side of the ear canal.

Also, I use them for other things too such as cleaning electronics with alcohol where more pressure is often needed.

What is more important is to dispose of them correctly so that they don't end up on the beach in the first place.

I've switched to bamboo qtips for electronics, they can take a good amount of force (although not as much as plastic ones)

There are wood Q-tips if firmness is important to you. They're also generally cheaper.

Where? I've never seen Q-tips on the beach