Regular kitchen sponges might have a similar feel and texture to sea sponges, but there’s absolutely nothing natural about them. Just like many other objects in your kitchen, they’re made of plastic. That means that when you dispose of them, you’re potentially harming the planet.

The problem with artificial sponges is this: they have a nasty habit of generating microplastics after they enter the waste disposal system. Tiny particles flake off them and then get into the watercourse, eventually hitting the ocean where they damage ecosystems.

You can actually see some of the microplastics on regular sponges as you use them. See those tiny bluey particles on the rough side of the sponge? These eventually break away from the main body of the sponge and travel down into the waste system.

The good news is that you don’t have to put up with this.  Clearstone has a bunch of products that replace traditional plasticated washing up utensils and won’t damage the environment when they come to the end of their lives.

Compostable Sponge

Many people love using sponges for washing up. They have an uncanny ability to make your dishes look and sound squeaky clean. Fortunately, you can now get a biodegradable and compostable sponge from us that’s 100 percent plastic-free.

The sponge is made from renewable materials. So once it loses its structure after several uses, you can dispose of it, knowing that you're not adding yet more waste plastic to the environment. Furthermore, it’s compostable, meaning that eventually it’ll turn back into soil you can use to fertilise your garden.

Wooden Dish Brush

Plastic dish brushes don’t last long and can be difficult to recycle. What’s more, when you throw them away, they eventually become a source of microplastics. Many of the particles they contain eventually make their way out into the rivers and sea.

That’s why we offer a 100 percent FSC certified beech wooden dish brush. It’s 100 percent compostable, with bristles made of natural materials that will eventually break down. What’s more, it looks great too, with wooden and metallic elements throughout. It’s also vegan, meaning that no animals were killed or harmed in its creation - always good to know.

Compostable Cleaning Cloths

Most commercially available cleaning cloths contain vast quantities of synthetic materials, ultimately derived from plastic. Again, they do not break down in the ground and, as before, there are environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Our compostable cleaning cloths are different. They will break down when you dispose of them in the right way. That means you can reduce your kitchen waste by as much as 10 percent.

What’s more, these kitchen cloths are still highly durable - similar to regular commercial varieties. So you’re not going to have to endlessly replace them.

Summing up, regular kitchen sponges and other washing up products contain vast amounts of plastic which converts to dangerous microplastics in the waste disposal system. Our zero waste natural alternatives never contain any plastic and break down naturally - better for the environment.

References:

https://www.awastefreeworld.com/blogs/plastic-education/plastic-free-sponges

https://www.sustainablylazy.com/blog/plasticfreesponge#:~:text=Microplastics,enough%20at%20filtering%20them%20out.

https://www.kempii.co.uk/blogs/cleaning/5-kitchen-sponge-alternatives

https://www.blueland.com/articles/how-dirty-are-kitchen-sponges

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/videos/watch-heres-why-kitchen-sponges-are-bad-for-the-environment-video/