The humble cleaning sponge is probably used in every household. But are sponges bad for the environment? Let’s find out.
In recent years, people have become much more conscious of their impact on the planet. Most of us are looking to make changes to our lives to make them more sustainable.
The cupboard under the kitchen sink is a good place to start. Apart from a myriad of plastic bottles with cleaning products, there is also the cleaning sponge.
It looks harmless enough, but I was wondering: are sponges bad for the environment?
If you are wondering too, wonder no more. In this article you will find out.
What Are Cleaning Sponges Made Of?
Before we delve into the question “are sponges bad for the environment?” let’s have a look at what they are made of. Because this will help us find out what their impact on the planet is.
The typical cleaning sponge that you can buy in the supermarket is made of plastic. This might not surprise you, given that most of what we use seems to be plastic nowadays.
Different types of plastic are used by various manufacturers, but the most common plastics are polyurethane, polyethylene, polyfoam and melamine.
For example, the most common sponge, yellow with a green scrubbing top, is made of polyurethane and polyethylene.
To make the sponges resistant to bacteria build-up, they are soaked in all sorts of chemicals, such as triclosan or bleach.
If all that sounds rather bad news for the environment, then that’s because it is.
You might have already guessed it, the answer to our question “are sponges bad for the environment?” is yes.
But let’s look at the reasons for this in more detail.
Plastic – Our Planet’s Enemy No. 1
We all know that we have a problem with plastic pollution. So the fact that the traditional cleaning sponges are made of plastic is already a big indicator that they are bad for the environment.
One problem with plastic is that most of it is made using petroleum, which is a fossil fuel. Because there is only a limited amount of this resource available, making plastic is not sustainable.
The production of fossil fuels also contributes to the emission of greenhouse cases and with that causes climate change.
While there are plastics that are made from plant-based sources, so-called bioplastics, 90% of the plastic in the world is still made from fossil fuels.
So the chances are that the majority of plastic sponges you can buy today are made from petroleum-based plastic.
And while a lot of plastic types are recyclable, plastic sponges are not. Even though some of the plastics sponges are made of are, for example, polyethylene.
But because they are light and airy, cleaning sponges can’t be recycled with other plastic items such as plastic bottles. As a result, the majority of UK councils won’t accept these plastic sponges in their home recycling programmes.
This means, plastic sponges end up in landfill, where they take hundreds of years to break down, if they break down at all.
As they break down, they release smaller pieces of plastic, which can cause a lot of harm to our wildlife and environment.
And if you think how many sponges are thrown away every week, you will quickly realise how much plastic waste they produce.
Mircoplastics
But it gets worse. Every time you use a plastic sponge, tiny pieces come off it. These so-called microplastics make it into our waterways, because they are too small to be stopped by our water treatment processes.
Many studies, for example by the University of Birmingham, have researched the effects mircoplastics have on our environment.
And as you can imagine, the results aren’t good. Mircoplastics can now be found everywhere, in the soil, plants, animals and even our own bodies.
While the extent to which these tiny pieces of plastic cause harm when ingested is not yet fully known, many scientists are worried.
And given how much plastic we use in our daily lives, microplastic pollution will only get worse. And the millions and millions of sponges we use are a big contributor to the problem.
If you are still in doubt and wonder if sponges are bad for the environment, then read on. (You’re probably not, but read on nonetheless).
Not Single-Use But Still Short-Term
Although cleaning sponges aren’t single-use, they are generally only used for a short amount of time, days or maybe weeks.
After that they need throwing and replacing with a new one. This creates a huge amount of plastic waste around the world.
Think about it: probably every household in the world uses cleaning sponges for dishes or to clean surfaces, cars, bikes, etc.
And because these sponges are so cheap, people don’t think twice about tossing them in the bin and getting a new one out. The environmental impact these synthetic sponges have is huge.
Of course, kitchen sponges you use for your dishes need to be replaced regularly for hygiene reasons. Bacteria and germs can build up on them and transfer to your dishes.
But in our throwaway society, we seem to have come to a point where we don’t expect things to last too long. Unless they are really expensive, of course.
And this attitude has contributed to the huge amount of waste that we produce across the world. Plastic-based sponges directly contribute to this waste.
Drenched In Chemicals
As if all this wasn’t reason enough to answer our question “are sponges bad for the environment?” with yes, there is more. I know, this seems never-ending!
Conventional sponges that you buy in the supermarket are not only made of plastic, but they are soaked with chemicals, such as triclosan.
The reason this is done is to prevent a build-up of bacteria. Triclosan is a very nasty pesticide that kills bacteria and other microorganisms.
Studies have shown that this chemical isn’t safe for humans. In the UK, its use was banned in personal care products. But it’s still allowed in cleaning products.
Far from only being a hazard for humans, triclosan can also harm our environment. Aquatic ecosystems can be destroyed by triclosan.
Other chemicals are also used, such as bleach, which are no less bad for the environment though. In fact, many of the chemicals used in cleaning products are bad for the environment.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives To Plastic Sponges
Now that we know that the answer to our question “are sponges bad for the environment?” is yes, let’s look at what we could replace them with.
Because the good news is that there are eco-friendly alternatives to using plastic sponges.
Let’s look at the non-plastic alternatives in more detail, so you can make the right choice for you.
Sea Sponge
One plastic-free alternative to traditional sponges are sea sponges. These are natural sponges, as such they don’t contain any plastic.
But they are also living organisms, which are classed as animals. As their name says, they live in our waterways.
When sea sponges are harvested, the top of the organism is removed. Apparently that’s the same as when we get a hair cut. The remaining part will continue to grow.
These sea sponges have been used by humans for thousands of years, since Roman times.
Because they are 100% natural, they are also 100% biodegradable and won’t harm the planet as they break down. They can even go on the compost heap as they are also 100% compostable.
With no plastic in sight, there won’t be any microplastics either. And these sea sponges aren’t drenched in harmful chemicals either.
Sea sponges are also a sustainable source, as they will continue to grow. It takes about 3–5 years to grow new sponges that can be harvested.
But, you will have to get over the fact that you are cleaning with part of an animal. This is an ethical question that everyone has to answer for themselves.
Loofah Sponges
Another plastic-free alternative that is better for our planet than plastic sponges are loofah sponges.
These are the dried fruits of the luffa plant, which is in the same family as the cucumber. Once the fruit is dried and peeled, it can be used as a sponge.
You can even grow these plants yourself, which means you can literally grow your own eco-friendly cleaning sponges. Isn’t that fantastic?
As a plant, luffa is a sustainable source. It doesn’t need a lot of energy to grow them and the growing process only emits minimal carbon emissions.
And once you are done with your loofah sponge, you can throw them on your compost heap. As long as you haven’t used any chemicals with the sponge.
This zero-waste alternative can be a great help with cleaning, because its rough texture makes short work of dirt and stains.
But loofah sponges are still soft enough not to scratch non-stick pans, so you can use them for anything in the house that needs cleaning.
One thing you want to make sure though, if you buy a loofah sponge, is that it isn’t soaked in any chemicals, such as bleach.
To make sure of this, just grow your own.
Cellulose Sponges
The third alternative is cellulose sponges. These are made from plant fibres, such as wood pulp, and therefore from a sustainable source.
They undergo a chemical process to transform the plant fibres into a sponge, which might use up quite a lot of energy. This makes them less eco-friendly than, for example, loofah sponges.
However, they are still much more eco-friendly than plastic synthetic sponges.
The best thing about these natural sponges is that you can pop them in the dishwasher on the top shelf and then reuse.
This means they will last longer, which is always better than having to replace a sponge after a few days. It’s better for the planet as well as your budget.
And once you are done with a cellulose sponge, you can compost it at home. Again, provided you haven’t used it with any harmful chemicals.
So these cellulose sponges are a great alternative. But watch out for ones that have plastic added. These are not as eco-friendly as they sound; for one, they won’t be compostable.
Also, keep away from cellulose sponges that are soaked in bleach or triclosan, as these won’t be good for the environment either and can’t be composted.
If you are looking for recommendations for eco-friendly sponges, read our reviews for the Seep eco-friendly kitchen sponge and the &keep compostable sponge with sisal scouring pad.
Eco-Friendly Washing-Up Soap
But changing your sponge isn’t enough. To have a truly sustainable cleaning routine, you also need to get rid of nasty and toxic chemicals in your cleaning products.
Not sure where to start? Read our comparison of the best eco-friendly cleaning products to get you going.
One important cleaning product many might overlook is washing-up liquid, which we use with sponges. While there are eco-friendly alternatives out there, I have recently come across a washing-up soap.
This zero-waste alternative to washing-up liquid intrigued me, so I thought I’d try it out.
My Experience With The Friendly Soap Kitchen Bar
I have used shampoo bars, body bars, conditioner bars and even cream bars, so why not use a kitchen bar to clean your pots, right?
I found the Friendly Soap kitchen bar on one of my favourite eco-friendly online stores: &keep. I liked the idea of a soap because it would mean zero-waste, as soaps tend to come in cardboard boxes which can be recycled.
And of course, this kitchen bar was no exception. It smells lovely and fresh of lime and lemon and only contains natural ingredients. No nasty chemicals here!
Using it was a bit of a change from regular washing-up liquid. You wet it, then rub it on your eco-friendly sponge. It will foam up slightly, but not much.
That’s because they don’t use foaming agents, as most conventional products do. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. On the contrary, it works great to get rid of any food stains from your plates or pans.
Even dried on food is no problem with this kitchen soap. What I did notice though is that I kept rubbing more on my sponge. Now this might just have been me expecting a lot of foam, but it did mean the bar didn’t last as long as it could have done.
One thing I loved about this kitchen bar is that you can also use it as a stain remover for your laundry. Just rub it on the stain and wash the garment as usual. The kitchen bar also doubles up as a surface cleaner.
Rub the wet bar on a sponge and clean your surfaces with it. I didn’t use it very often though, because I then had to wipe the surface with a clean damp sponge to get rid of the soap residue.
My all-purpose spray cleaner is just a better option. But it did do the job at getting my surfaces clean.
So if you are looking for a sustainable alternative to your washing-up liquid, give the Friendly Soap kitchen bar a go.
Conclusion
So, are sponges bad for the environment? Yes, the traditional plastic sponges you buy in the supermarket are terrible for the planet.
Not only can’t they be recycled, as we have seen, they also tend to be made from fossil fuel-derived plastics.
This means they are made using an unsustainable, because not renewable, source. The production of fossil fuels also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases.
And because we change our sponges regularly, for hygiene reasons, millions and millions are thrown away every week.
The good news is, there are eco-friendly alternatives to plastic sponges. While natural sea sponges come with an ethical consideration, they are part of animals, the other alternatives are a no-brainer.
You can grow loofah sponges yourself, which means you can be self-sufficient when it comes to your cleaning sponges.
Cellulose sponges are 100% natural, plastic-free and zero-waste, as you can compost them.
So now that you know the answer to the question “are sponges bad for the environment?”, you can choose the eco-friendly alternative that works for you.
