There’s one factor a few sponge that makes any kitchen actually really feel appropriately equipped. You need that spectacular absorbency, that squishy flexibility, that quick-squeeze dryness for positive cleaning jobs that merely cannot be replicated by a dishcloth.
Sadly, the colorful synthetic sponges that the majority people have subsequent to their sinks set off environmental damage prolonged after their useful life spans have ended. The first downside is with the sheer amount that are discarded yearly—an estimated 400 million within the USA alone.
Sponges are designed to do messy cleaning jobs, which causes them to refill with germs quickly. That’s the reason many specialists advise tossing the stinkers weekly—a suggestion which can help us in the case of hygiene, nevertheless ends in a staggering amount of plastic trash that may’t be recycled. As quickly as in landfill, it might take hundreds and hundreds of years for them to interrupt down.
One different downside is that, because of the overwhelming majority of those kitchen sponges are created from plastic, they placed on out by shedding tiny bits of plastic down the drain. These microplastics are too small to be filtered out by wastewater remedy facilities, in order that they enter waterways, lakes, and oceans.
Go Pure As an alternative
With this environmental nightmare in ideas, it’s a good suggestion to seek for choices. Pure, biodegradable cleaning sponges do exist, and they also’re a unbelievable substitute, able to take up as a lot as ten situations their weight in water. They’re environmentally nice, reusable, and created from picket pulp or plant cellulose, which ensures they’ll break down completely in a cheap time period. Listed under are just a few of our favorite cheap selections, on the market from the Free the Ocean plastic-free retailer.
Treehugger spoke to Mimi Ausland, co-founder of Free the Ocean, who acknowledged, “These plastic-free sponges perform the exact same job as your typical kitchen sponge. (I consider they work even greater.) As an alternative of your sponges ending up as part of our rising plastic waste downside, you can actually really feel good realizing this completely different is created from picket pulp and is 100% biodegradable!”
Free the Ocean’s sponges embrace rave critiques from many comfy shoppers.
“These are THE BEST sponges I’ve ever used, and might solely use these any further. They’re cozy in your hand, too!”—Marina B.
“Wow! So shocked how absorbent they’re and realizing I’m serving to the setting is a double plus!”—Ruth P.
“These sponges are nice!!! Not solely are they protected for the setting, nevertheless as well as they ultimate a really very long time and take up an unbelievable amount of liquid. I LOVE THEM!”—Fawn
Give pure sponges a attempt to you’ll not be disenchanted. In reality, you’re further vulnerable to be pleasantly shocked—and marvel why you didn’t make the swap earlier. Your kitchen and dishes is likely to be as squeaky clear as ever, and all it is necessary to do is toss the sponge throughout the compost bin when you’re carried out with it.
To purchase and for further information, go to Free the Ocean.