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Plastic amalgamation of the dishwashing sponge makes the item difficult to recycle

The dishwashing sponge, used to keep clean, ironically, is one of the dirtiest items in the kitchen. In addition, precisely because it is a “bacteria carrier”, it has a reduced shelf life. Ideally, you should use the same sponge for only seven days.

Is a dishwasher sponge recyclable?

The common dishwashing sponge is made from a mixture of plastics, including polyurethane plastic, which makes recycling very difficult and not economically viable. This is because the plastics in question contain specificities that make recycling very difficult, in addition to being amalgamated and containing a lot of bacteria. Therefore, the fate of most of these sponges ends up being common garbage.

• Do you know what recycling is? And how did it come about?

The ideal is that the use of sponge for washing dishes should be avoided, so as not to accumulate even more non-recyclable material or material that is difficult to recycle, such as sponge, in landfills.

There are some sponge models based on natural raw materials, such as cane fiber and biopolyol. The packaging of this type of sponge itself is made with materials that are less harmful to the environment. Even so, it is most recommended to use another dishwashing sponge, since the plastic sponge ends up being considered as a non-recyclable material, since its recycling is very costly and ends up not paying off. The best dishwashing sponge is the one known as a vegetable sponge.

Problems

The fact that the common dishwashing sponge most of the time is not recycled makes it a real enemy of the environment. That's because, even when properly disposed of, the common dishwashing sponge can escape into the environment through wind and rain and cause significant damage.

Imagine then when it is incorrectly discarded.

• Understand the environmental impact of plastic waste on the food chain

• There are microplastics in salt, food, air and water

Vegetable loofah is the ideal dishwashing sponge

Vegetable loofah is nothing more than the pulp of a fruit that grows very well in Brazil, you can even plant it at home (learn how in the article "How to plant vegetable loofah?"). In addition to being a much more sustainable alternative to a common dishwashing sponge, it can be compostable. Vegetable loofah is less contaminated, scratches the dishes less and lasts much longer. This is all due to the shape of its fibers.

Did you like the idea and want to get to know the vegetable sponge better and replace it with the common dishwashing sponge? Take a look at the article: "Vegetable loofah: how to use it and its many benefits".

Dispose correctly

It's not enough to just stop using the common dishwashing sponge, it's necessary to dispose of it correctly. To find out which collection points are closest to your home, check the free search engine at eCycle portal .