Every single household across the world has some impact on the environment via the actions and choices they make. Some of us make a massive effort to reduce single-use plastics and other dangerous items from our lifestyles to help protect the planet, while others do their best where it is most convenient. While many of us swapped out our plastic bags for totes years ago, there is still a damaging product in many of our kitchens – the humble washing-up sponge.
Switch From Yellow And Green Synthetic Sponges To Eco-Friendly Ohanacrats Ribbon Dish Scrubbies.
The yellow and green cleaning sponge is a familiar product and so cheap and accessible that we throw them into our shopping carts without much thought. However, this little sponge is a big problem, especially when we add up how many are thrown away daily. They have short lives in the kitchen and long lives as trash. Their materials can pollute the environment significantly. That is why it is so much better to use an alternative sponge product for dishwashing. So, why are these sponges so dangerous, what could we use instead, and how are our ribbon dish scrubbies more environmentally friendly?
Why Are Yellow And Green Sponges So Dangerous?
The more problematic factor with synthetic sponges like this is that they don’t break down that much. Natural materials biodegrade and return to the soil to feed new life, but these waste products sit there for 100s of years before they break down. Even then, they add no value to the earth. At best, these sponges sit in a landfill, taking up precious space.
Another consideration when asking why sponges are nasty for the planet is the risk of additional pollution in the environment. For a start, there is the risk that animals will start eating them if they lie around as litter. It is surprising how many whole sponges can end up on the side of the road or by rivers. There is also the risk of creatures trying to use them as nesting material. Either way, there is the risk of choking or other illness from ingesting the material. Also, you can end up with a gradual breakdown of plastics and chemicals in waterways. Not only does this enter our seas and decrease water quality, but it can also end up in the food chain and back on our plates.
How Many Sponges Are Trashed?
We all know the sponges we are talking about here because we had all used them at some point – and that is part of the problem. It isn’t just the quality of the material that is the issue here. It is the accumulative amount of that material thrown out and sitting in a landfill or the natural environment. Consider a city with a population of a million households. Each household uses these sponges to wash dishes or for other cleaning tasks and throws them away at the end of the week when they get worn out or too dirty to reuse. That’s 52 million sponges thrown away per year in that city alone. This is a high estimate as many will use alternative methods instead. But it shows the potential damage.
Combining these factors leads to a massive problem for the natural world. There is too much of this damaging sponge on the market, which will soon ruin the environment—the fewer people that have these sponges at home, the better. But we can’t simply expect the average consumer to give up on this convenient item without a better alternative. alternative Thankfully, you can reduce trash with more eco-friendly alternatives.
Environmentally Friendly Alternative To Yellow And Green Sponges.
The idea of using natural materials for more environmentally friendly dishwashing sponges has its pros and cons. The plus side is that a 100% natural product won’t have as much trouble breaking down when no longer in use. But we still need to be careful that materials are sustainable and that we aren’t causing ecological issues in some other way.
Knowing the difference between natural sponges from the ocean and those made from loofah is essential. These products look similar and have many of the same properties for absorbency and cleaning power. However, one is an animal, and the other a plant. Sponges from the ocean are animals that have died, dried out, and are then used as sponges for other purposes. It is difficult to know if they are farmed sustainably or taken from the wild in a way that damages the ecosystem. On the other hand, Loofah is a plant, entirely vegan, and much more ethical.
Other Plant-Based Sponge Materials For Greener Dish Washing.
If you like the idea of using something entirely plant-based, you may prefer the idea of a bamboo sponge. This may not have the same absorbancy or abrasion for cleaning as other materials or ribbon scrubbies. Still, it is a sustainable material and should last longer than a yellow and green sponge. Or, you might prefer the idea of using something with cellulose. This ingredient is part of our products, alongside other advantageous fibers. This is great because it breaks down within around a year and doesn’t contain the dangerous chemicals in those plastic-filled synthetic products. There will undoubtedly be other plant-based solutions, but we used a blend of materials for a wider range of benefits.
What Makes Our Ribbon Dish Scrubbies So Much Better For The Environment?
You might look at our products and say they aren’t the same as the high-end natural products mentioned above. After all, we use ribbons of polyester, cellulose, netting, and pieces of Swedish dishcloth to build our exciting pieces, rather than plant-based materials like loofah and bamboo. However, our pieces are a great example of what you can do with scraps of fabric that would otherwise be deemed worthless. Why waste effort and money creating new materials from scratch when we can upcycle and show the benefits of giving these materials a second life as something practical?
The additional benefit here is that one of our ribbon dish scrubbies is made to last very long. Eventually, even the best natural sponge alternatives will wear down or get to a point where you don’t want to use them anymore. At that point, they end up in the landfill to break down naturally. You may not throw away as many as you would the yellow and green sponges, but it is still a waste.
With the ribbon sponge, you get something durable thanks to that combination of rigid materials, which prolongs the lifespan. Also, durable material like this isn’t going to break down and leach contaminants into the water supply as you wash your dishes. Furthermore, you can easily clean these out to keep them hygienic and looking at their best for a long time. Many consumers find that these last six months could even make it to a year with the proper care.
This all means that you get a high-value item with minimal environmental impact. One of our common ribbon dish scrubbie FAQs is why a pack of these costs so much more than regular sponges. Well, you are getting a pack of handmade, practical pieces that could last you an entire year with zero waste going to landfill in that period. That is a massive difference from the yellow and green sponges discarded each week, which can quickly increase in price if you buy a pack every couple of weeks. This one-time payment is a lot more cost-effective.
Ohanacrats Ribbon Scrubbies Are Attractive And Effective Too.
Finally, it is worth pointing out that you do get the whole package with these ribbon scrubbies. Natural alternatives to a sponge can be effective and more environmental but do they have the same scrubbing power as this mix of materials? The idea of a ribbon dish cleaner may sound fragile, but the texture of the mesh and dishcloth combine to make short work of anything on your mugs, plates, and cutlery. They are effective but not abrasive in a way that will cause damage. Meanwhile, the structure and use of holes allow water and dirt to pass through and limit the chances of germs breeding in the material.
This ease of cleaning allows for a product that remains easy on the eye, to the point where you can keep them out on display by the sink. That is why we are so careful to create beautiful pieces inspired by flowers in various colors. You can pick a set that you like the look of or even gift one to friends and family. So, the next time you admire these tough scrubbies in your kitchen, remember the difference you are making for the planet by giving up the yellow and green sponges for good.
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