Welcome back to our Materials Matter series, where we explore why the materials used in the making of our plant sponges, scrubbers, and dish brushes are better for you and the planet. We’ve covered some of our favorite sustainable materials, like bamboo and wood pulp, and why they're earth-friendly and inspiring.
Next up! We’re sharing all things luffa—what it is, how it’s made, and what makes it the best natural material for sponges.
If you've never heard of luffa before, it's probably because most "loofahs" today are synthetic. The colorful bath pouf found in supermarkets? Inspired by luffa — but made with plastic. Many companies sell “luffa sponges” that actually have zero luffa in them. They’re plastic sponges made to resemble luffa 🙅🏻 A natural luffa sponge is made with only luffa or other plant-based, natural ingredients. It's not only better for you and the environment, but it works better, too.
So what is luffa, exactly?
Natural luffa (aka loofah) is a tropical gourd in the same family as pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. When fresh, it looks like a giant cucumber from the outside but is fibrous on the inside, which gives it its spongy texture.
Luffa has been a household staple since the days of Cleopatra. Ancient Egyptians were thought to have used luffa for cleaning and bathing. Its fibrous texture makes it ideal for washing and scrubbing. When processed with industrial materials, luffa can be used for everything from engine filters to building insulation and rechargeable batteries.
As an organic crop, luffa is widely grown and used around the world. Originating in Asia and Africa, it was first cultivated in India and brought to the Americas 9,000+ years ago. Due to its versatility, heartiness, and vigorous growth, luffa was one of the first crops early European settlers domesticated and farmed in the New World centuries ago.
The process of turning a luffa gourd into a sponge is simple. After the luffa has fully matured, it’s harvested, and the skin is peeled off. Then, the seeds are removed, and the fibrous part of the luffa is left to dry. A 100% luffa sponge is simply the dried fiber from the gourd. When the dried fibers of a luffa sponge are wet, they puff up and curl to return to their natural form.
Unlike plastic poufs and scrubbers made with petrochemicals, luffa sponges are the most environmentally friendly. A natural luffa sponge (like ours ✌🏼) is renewable, plant-based, and compostable.
During its long growing season, sustainable luffa is planted, cultivated, harvested, and replanted for renewable growth. It can be grown in tropical or subtropical conditions without pesticides, making it an easy vine to grow in your home garden, too!
While arguably the best, luffa sponges aren't the only natural sponges. Sea sponges are also natural, biodegradable, and compostable, but believe it or not—they’re not plants. Sea sponges are actually animals, and "over-fishing" these sea creatures damages oceanic habitats and disrupts marine life.
The best part about luffa is it's compostable — the reason why so many eco-minded homes and zero-wasters switch to using luffa sponges. Instead of going to a landfill, luffa can be easily composted to create soil and circularity 🌿
Before plastic was invented, mother nature had perfected the sponge with luffa. While plastic has become the cheaper, easier-to-manufacture, synthetic material for sponges, there are many reasons to choose luffa sponges or sponges made from natural materials instead (we love a good wood pulp sponge too!)
With use, all sponges break down over time. Plastic sponges release toxins as they break down and slowly become microplastics that pollute our water, land, and air. Natural sponges are non-toxic and can be safely disposed of or composted—simply add them to a municipal or home compost pile—then mother nature takes care of the rest.
Beware tho’ ⚠️ Many companies claim to sell luffa sponges, but they’re actually uncompostable plastic. Or they add glues and plasticizers that make the luffa non-compostable. Before purchasing, check that the luffa sponge is natural without dyes, glues, plastics, or synthetic materials.
Here are a few other practical reasons why natural luffa sponges are the best option for your home and body:
According to the CDC, the average life of a plastic sponge is 1-2 weeks 😱 Depending on how often you use it, a natural sponge can last 4-6 weeks. Taking good care of your natural sponges is essential for helping them last longer. You can read all about the do's and don'ts of sponge care in our care guide.
Since they're natural, you can clean luffa sponges more regularly than plastic ones by placing them on the top rack of your dishwasher, boiling them in hot water for five minutes, or microwaving them (just make sure they're a little wet). Cleaning plastic sponges the same way releases toxins and sheds microplastics, which not only increases exposure to germs but also compromises our immune systems.
They're multipurpose and can handle dishes, counters, and even dry skin 😌 Luffa scrub sponges can tackle any job around the house or serve as a self-care sidekick.
At Sqwishful, we think the perfect sponge should be plant-based, plastic-free, and compostable. We started with these fundamental ideas and chose luffa for its sustainability. To source the best one, we went to China, where it's native and has been cultivated for centuries.
Today, we work with suppliers who share our vision of a perfect sponge. They practice managed agriculture for renewable growth. They maintain ISO 14001 certification and are committed to environmental standards. Plus, they actively work to reduce crop waste and energy and water consumption.
Together, we’ve taken one of the best natural materials for sponges and created a 100% luffa sponge our customers love.
It lasts forever, yet naturally biodegrades. It’s hand-sewn with no glues and is safe for composting. It’s gentle on non-stick surfaces, yet tough enough to scrub even the stickiest stains.
And we don’t like to brag, but it also won Tree Hugger’s Best of Green Cleaning award.
When we say Sqwishful products clean and leave the world cleaner—we mean it. But don’t take it from us, here’s what our customers are saying.
“So I’m a fan of the scrubby sponge as a substitute to the average loofa most people use in the shower. I love the way this feels on my skin and how my soap lathers up on it too. I hope this is the preview to expanding Sqwishful into other places of cleaning — like my bath!” - Geraldine M.
Call it Sqwishful Thinking, but we’re here to change the cleaning industry. We’re proud to use sustainably sourced materials like 100% luffa to make our inspiring, plant-based, luffa scrub sponges. And to shine a light on the ways our materials are re-imagining zero-waste cleaning essentials for the future.
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For decades, household cleaners have advertised products that “kill 99.9% of bacteria.” Have you ever wondered what this means and whether it's healthy or harmful to remove all bacteria from your home?
In this blog, we’re taking a closer look at microbes — the good, the bad, and the (not-so) ugly. We're making a case for good bacteria, why you shouldn't go on a germ-killing spree, and the best ways to cultivate a healthy home environment.
Over the last few decades, and especially since 2020, we’ve spent more time than ever cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing our homes. With the promise that a germ-free environment prevents disease, we've become obsessed with scouring every surface and corner of our homes.
But is living in a bacteria and germ-free bubble (read: sterile) healthy? What if store-bought cleaners exaggerate the threat germs pose to our health? And what if there are worse side effects from using these cleaning products?
Less than 1% of bacteria can make us sick. In fact, we need bacteria to be healthy! Without bacteria, our immune system would be weakened and more susceptible to disease. Our body thrives on a fancy cocktail of bacteria—especially in our gut, respiratory tract, and skin.
The same goes for our home environment. Some kinds of bacteria help fight the not-so-good kinds. And when we go around eliminating them all, we’re making it easier for mold, fungus, and disease-causing bacteria to thrive in our homes.
In nature, billions of bacteria live in oceans, soil, and living things. They create oxygen and help maintain balance in the environment, keeping ecosystems healthy and in harmony. The same applies in our homes and bodies. Together, they form the community of microorganisms known as our microbiome.
Have you experienced a moldy corner in your bathroom that just won’t give up? It could be caused by over-disinfecting. As helpful bacteria are destroyed, stubborn mold can gain strength, making a forever home of your bathroom corner.
With all the misinformation and confusing marketing around what “clean” means, it's easy to want to disinfect every inch of our homes to eliminate all bacteria. But this has proven to be worse for our home environment. What can we do to preserve microbial diversity while safeguarding our health?
The first step to cultivating a healthier home is understanding the difference between cleaning and disinfecting and the role household cleaners play.
According to the CDC, there's no reason to disinfect your home unless someone is sick. Most of the time, cleaning is enough to keep you and your family healthy.
Cleaning usually refers to washing with soap and water, tidying up, and removing dust. When there’s a big spill or too much pet hair on your couch — the job calls for cleaning. The key to cleaning is removing. Cleaning removes dirt, dust, spills, crumbs, and your fur baby's pet hair.
Disinfecting is about killing bacteria, germs, and viruses. To disinfect, you need harsher chemicals, like ammonia or bleach. Most conventional all-purpose cleaners contain these chemicals and anything else that says "kills 99.9% of germs." These types of chemical disinfectants do their job of killing harmful bugs, but they do much more than that.
They kill most viruses and bacteria — including the good kind. Because they’re so harsh, they can irritate your lungs, skin, and gut. Or worse, lead to asthma, cancer, and infertility.
This doesn’t mean you should never disinfect. If someone in your household is sick, disinfecting can be beneficial (just be mindful not to overdo it.) For the most part, you can get away with simply cleaning regularly to keep your home healthy.
Our body is home to more than 380 trillion viruses 😱 Most harmlessly coexist, while some cause disease and others fight them. The same is true for our home environment. There are billions of tiny microorganisms that coexist with us in our homes. And getting rid of all of them with chemical disinfectants can cause health risks and toxic living spaces.
Ironically, most conventional cleaning products that whiten clothes, disinfect bathrooms, and remove grease from pans actually pollute our home environment — especially the air.
Did you know that the harsh chemicals in household cleaning products release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can lead to serious health effects like asthma, allergies, and headaches?
Using household cleaners that contain VOCs (spoiler alert: most do!) essentially poisons the air quality in your home. To keep your home environment healthy, always read labels and use cleaning products with VOCs sparingly (in ventilated spaces) or opt for products made from natural, fragrance-free ingredients that are just as effective, like ours.
Most disinfecting chemicals generally fall into two categories — ammonia or bleach. Both are quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as “quats” or QACs. Manufacturing QACs requires highly toxic chemicals, including benzyl chloride, a known endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruption can lead to reproductive and development issues, weakened immunity, and increased cancer risk. Which disproportionately affects vulnerable communities and communities of color often located near quats manufacturing plants.
Contrary to what marketing household cleaners would have us believe, exposure to germs is good for us. It strengthens our immune systems, trains them to adapt, and offers protection from allergies. Living in a sterile bubble can make us and our families more prone to developing allergies and asthma. Studies show that the rise in allergies and asthma is strongly connected to having low exposure to microbes during childhood.
To keep our homes healthy means finding a balance between reducing bad germs and allowing the good ones to do their thing 🤝 By being mindful about our cleaning and disinfecting habits, we play a role in preserving the microbial biodiversity in our homes, that is essential for our health.
Household cleaners meant to clean have a messy environmental impact. Most of them come in plastic packaging, which is a topic for another day 📌
At Sqwishful, our mission is to help you clean and leave the world cleaner by making household cleaning products align with what they promise — a clean home. And that includes our planet. We envision a world where cleaning improves our home environment and microbiome.
In our products, you’ll never find:
❌ Harsh chemicals
❌ Plastic (duh)
❌ Synthetic dyes or glues
❌ Ingredients that harm your health in any way
We use gentle, earth-friendly ingredients instead of harsh chemicals. We craft cleaning tools from natural materials, not plastic. And we encourage clean cleaning in our homes. The kind that allows us to go back to basics and back to cleaning from a place of health and harmony.
Call it Sqwishful Thinking, but we’re here to change the cleaning industry.
Shop Our Plant-Powered Products →
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Composting is one of the best ways to give back to our planet. It’s the foundation for circularity — and everyone can do it. Composting reduces waste in landfills, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and fights climate injustice.
In this blog, we’re looking at the food waste problem in the U.S., the social benefits of composting, and how to start your own compost pile.
In the United States, 30-40% of our food supply ends up as waste in landfills. This accounts for over 400 billion dollars or 1.3 billion tons of food 😱 With world hunger on the rise and 35 million Americans without food security in the U.S., we are facing a global food crisis.
But food waste isn’t the only problem. Industrial agriculture diverts freshwater and land use away from communities and ecosystems. And as food piles up in landfills, it releases harmful greenhouse gases that pollute our air, speed up global warming, and contribute to climate change.
Landfill pollution disproportionately affects minority groups in the U.S. More than half of the populations living near landfills are people of color, including Black Americans who are three times more at risk.
While composting may seem new, it's an essential part of nature and key to our evolution. As societies have grown and commercial food and waste systems have gotten more complex, they've become further removed from our daily lives. But just as we've always relied on nature to recycle nutrients in the environment, we've relied on composting to manage waste, grow new crops, and feed our communities.
There are many benefits to growing food, composting, and gardening, including:
🌱 Connecting us with the history of the land we live on and its cultivators,
🌱 Healing and empowering communities to cultivate their own food, and
🌱 Inspiring learning, collaboration, and land stewardship.
To learn more about the social benefits of community composting, we asked our friends at Java's Compost, a residential compost pick-up service in New Jersey, about their work.
"We work to create compost communities because we believe that it reduces our reliance on incinerators and landfills that increase pollution and health issues in the vulnerable communities they are typically located in. [Instead] composting creates a natural soil amendment that can be used to grow healthier food."
The best part? Sharing the rewards.
"A lot of people are paralyzed into inaction around our environmental problems because they can be overwhelming and daunting. Composting is one of those things that provides immediate impact and a sense of hope — especially when you see your trash cut in half and your food scraps turn into beautiful black gold. These results have impact and tend to encourage others to try composting as well. This creates a sense of community that is empowered to make a difference."
Here's how to get started 💪
Composting is the natural process of turning organic materials like food scraps and yard waste into nutrient soil. The resulting compost encourages and enriches new plant growth and is integral to any organic garden.
Creating compost is simple and doesn’t require much. All you need is a space to set up a compost bin or pile, some browns and greens, water, air, and some patience.
A great compost has four main ingredients: water, air, browns (carbon), and greens (nitrogen). A balance of the four is necessary for a rich compost, but the main components to balance are the browns and greens. The golden ratio is 3:1 — or three parts browns, one part greens.
Browns are:
Greens are:
What NOT to add to your compost:
Transforming organic waste into soil can feel like magic. And taking something old and turning it into something new and useful is rewarding. If you have space for a compost bin or pile, here are the steps to do it:
1. Set up your bin in a shady, dry spot. You can also create a compost pile by using hex netting.
2. Add a thick layer of browns to start. Then add the greens and continue adding layers of greens and browns while maintaining a 3:1 ratio (three parts browns, 1 part greens).
3. Moisten your pile with some water. It doesn’t need to be soaked, just damp. Then, let nature work its magic.
Occasionally, turn your compost to aerate it and help it decompose faster. The natural decomposition process heats up the pile, so if you notice heat or steam coming off of it, don’t worry! That’s a good sign. Nature is working its magical fingers.
If the pile doesn’t heat up, it probably needs an extra layer of greens. If your compost pile starts to smell bad, it probably needs an extra layer of browns. Then, it’s just a waiting game.
Composting takes time, so be patient as your waste turns into rich, nutritious black gold. If you want to speed up the process, it helps to cut up the food scraps, paper, twigs, and everything else you add into small pieces.
Once your compost is ready, you’ll have dark, rich soil for use in your garden or for your houseplants.
Living in cities or suburbs can mean not having enough space to grow food or compost. If you don't have the space for a compost bin or pile, check your area for a composter program and encourage your state regulators to expand them. Some natural grocery stores and eco-minded businesses collect compostable items as well.
If you're looking for an easy way to get started, try searching for a neighborhood compost pick-up service that can pick up your food scraps and compost them for you. If none are available near you, our friends at Java's Compost suggest spreading the word to create demand.
"The more people know about composting, its benefits, and the solutions it can provide to our waste, social, and health issues, the more likely communities will want to support and be involved in composting efforts."
By transforming organic waste into soil for growing healthy foods, revitalizing communities and their connections to lands, and healing and offering self-empowerment to neighborhoods in need, community composting helps tackle food insecurity and climate injustice.
At Sqwishful, we’re committed to changing the cleaning industry by making the best zero waste products that clean and leave the world cleaner. We've made composting all of our products and packaging easy by making them plant-based and plastic-free ☁️
Join us in our mission to build a circular future. Shop for our compostable products at select retailers worldwide or at our online store here.
Special thanks to our friends at Java's Compost for contributing to this blog.
Is plastic safe to clean with? Is it actually more hygienic? What are the benefits of ditching plastic in your cleaning routine for good? In this blog, we’re exploring the role of plastic in the cleaning industry, how it contributes to pollution and ultimately affects our health.
If you've noticed the trend toward plastic-free living, then you're aware there's been a growing concern about the impact of plastic. (If this is news to you, welcome! You're in the right place 🎟️)
Why? The build-up of plastic pollution is making a mess of things, not only for our environment but also for our health.
It’s no secret that plastic isn’t keeping our environment clean. Just ask any sea turtle, dolphin, or albatross, and they'll tell you, far from it. Each year, we add another trillion pounds of plastic to the planet, and with less than 10% being recycled, we can expect more to end up as pollution.
The ripple effects of plastic pollution are widespread. And there's one industry that pollutes when its promise is to clean. From scrub sponges to surface cleaners—the cleaning industry is creating tons of plastic waste.
Take sponges, for example—and a fact that many people may not know or miss: conventional dish and scrub sponges are plastic.
Imagine there are 128 million households in the US, and about 70% use sponges or scrubbers. (Not to mention all the restaurants, hotels, office kitchens, and other places that use sponges too.) On average, people replace their sponges once a month—some even every week. That's 90 million households throwing away at least one sponge a month.
If every household switched to plant sponges (👋), billions of plastic sponges would never have the chance to pollute our water, land, and air.
But how do they even end up there? As microplastics.
Often when we think of plastic waste created by the cleaning industry, we think of plastic jugs or disposable bottles filled with detergent and liquid solutions. But the real problem is too small for us to see—tiny particles known as microplastics.
Every time you use a conventional green and yellow sponge, the plastic wears down. Little by little, the sponge sheds tiny pieces of plastic that wash down the drain 😱
The same goes for nylon bristles on plastic dish brushes, microfiber dish cloths (which release microplastics when you wash them), and many other cleaning tools.
On average, a wastewater treatment facility releases more than 4 million microplastics into US waterways every day. The problem is that these pieces are so tiny we can't effectively filter for them yet. But you can still make a difference by filtering what you use at home and choosing plastic-free cleaning products that don't pollute.
So what happens when plastic is in the air we breathe, water we drink, and food we eat? We're just starting to learn the effects plastic is having on our bodies. It can damage our cells (more on that later) and disrupt our endocrine systems, leading to infertility, obesity, and cancers.
Before starting the first zero waste sponge brand (✌️), Sqwisful founder Jenn was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (or PCOS)—the #1 cause of infertility in women after aging. After learning about her diagnosis and finding no cure, she began investigating the link between plastic and endocrine disorders.
Multiple studies highlight that women with PCOS have higher levels of BPA in their bodies—a chemical used to make plastics.
BPA is one of 13,000 known chemicals associated with plastics and their production that are hazardous to human health.
So why is there the perception that plastic is cleaner and better for our health?
Why is plastic seen as a hygienic material? Isn't the cleaning industry making a mess by using plastic in... well, pretty much everything?
Plastic sponge supporters argue that wood pulp and other natural sponges harbor bacteria. But if the definition of good hygiene is maintaining health and preventing disease—plastic isn't helping.
All sponges come into contact with bacteria and need cleaning. You can clean a natural sponge by throwing it in a dishwasher, boiling it in water, or microwaving it (just make sure it's a little wet). You can clean a plastic sponge the same way—but the heat from the microwave or hot water in your dishwasher or pot can release toxins in the plastic and wash microplastics down your drain.
Microplastics have not only been linked to harmful health effects, they have also been known to compromise our immune systems. When our white blood cells consume microplastics, they stop providing protection from harmful bacteria and leave us vulnerable to disease.
Plastic sponge supporters might ask, well, what about hospitals? Hospitals use plastic because it’s disposable, which can help reduce the spread of infection or disease when dealing with sick patients.
But microplastics can actually "act as a 'Trojan horse,' introducing harmful drug-resistant bacteria and their genes." Researchers are now seeing a link between microplastics and antibiotic resistance. There is a growing concern that continuing to flood the environment and our bodies with microplastics may breed super germs.
While microplastics are ubiquitous, we can still stem the flow by choosing natural alternatives that protect the health and hygiene of people and the planet.
Don't let plastic sponges fool you! They might seem irreplaceable, but replacing them is not only possible, it's responsible. And there are rewarding benefits to it, too.
🌿 Clean responsibly. Plastic-free cleaning creates a healthier and safer home environment and protects our planet from plastic pollution.
🌿 Demand innovation from the cleaning industry. Choosing toxic-free products over petrochemical products supports an ecosystem of green businesses doing business better.
🌿 Support a circular future. You can play a part in creating a circular future where plastic waste doesn’t exist.
At Sqwishful, we’re here to help you make those first steps into plastic-free cleaning and living. We know purging plastic from your cleaning routine is hard. But we've got you—and the small swaps to help you get there.
Start detoxifying and de-plastifying your home with high-quality, long-lasting, natural plant sponges, scrub sponges, and dish brushes. And start inspiring a future without plastic waste.
Welcome back to Materials Matter—a series where we explore why the materials used in our plant sponges, scrubbers, and dish brushes are better for you and the planet. We’re uncovering the uniqueness of each material and highlighting what makes it perfect for our earth-friendly products.
In this blog, we’re sharing all things bamboo: what it is, how it’s made, and what makes it the best natural material for plant-based dish brushes.
Is it a tree? Is it a grass? Bamboo might have some tree-like qualities, but it’s actually a grass native to Asia, Africa, and South America. It evolved from prehistoric grasses between 30 and 40 million years ago and has been cultivated for over 10,000 years.
Since bamboo shares many useful, wood-like properties, it can replace timber, which takes up to 20 years to harvest.
Bamboo’s strength, flexibility, and adaptability allow it to thrive in harsh conditions and grow virtually anywhere, making it an ideal and widely available material worldwide. Today, bamboo is used for textiles, furniture, construction, and countless products—including your favorite plant scrub brushes.
In China, bamboo brush-making has been around since the 15th century—over 500 years ago! Boar bristles and bamboo were used to create the first toothbrush, along with hairbrushes and brushes for other purposes, like cleaning.
Bamboo stalks are harvested and split lengthwise to produce brushes. Like wood pulping, the outer bark is removed. The stalks are chipped or crushed, treated, rinsed, and dried. Once dried, the bamboo can be shaped or joined to the desired brush shape and size. Lastly, bristles are added by tufting natural fibers to the brush head.
Bamboo is one of the greenest plants—why we chose to use it! But what makes bamboo so eco-friendly? Several things. Bamboo is especially quick to harvest, carbon-saving, and seriously versatile—making it a gold medalist in the world of sustainable materials.
These are the qualities that give bamboo its sustainable superpowers.
Bamboo grows easily and super fast, which allows for quick harvesting. It can grow without fertilizers or pesticides, minimizing its environmental impact. Once harvested, this remarkable plant is also self-regenerating and requires no replanting. It’s the self-motivated, thrives-in-a-fast-paced-environment member on the team.
Like all plants, bamboo sequesters carbon but does an Olympic job at it—it can hold up to 5x more CO2 than pine trees and releases up to 35% more oxygen than most trees. It can also save carbon as a replacement for timber, concrete, and other emission-heavy materials. Research shows bamboo products have a low or negative eco-cost and can effectively replace steel and cement.
Bamboo can be used in many ways, leaving no part of the plant to waste. It can be eaten and used for cooking, spun into textiles for sheets and clothing, and processed into highly durable flooring and building materials. As interest in bio-based, low-carbon economies grow, so does the potential for bamboo to find new opportunities to multitask.
As with every natural resource, bamboo can have a negative environmental impact. As a fast-growing monoculture, it can spread and become invasive. An important reason to consider the health of the surrounding ecosystem before introducing a non-native plant.
While plastic has become the cheaper, easier-to-manufacture, synthetic material for brushes, there are many reasons to choose bamboo brushes or brushes made from natural materials instead. The most important is that with use, all brush bristles wear down over time.
Natural brushes can be safely disposed of or composted by adding them to a municipal or home compost pile. Then mother nature takes care of the rest.
At Sqwishful, the perfect dish brush is plant-based, plastic-free, and compostable. We started with these fundamental ideas and chose bamboo for its sustainability.
Today, we work with suppliers who share our vision of a perfect brush. They practice regenerative agriculture and maintain environmental and ethical certifications. In addition to being ISO 14001 certified, our Chinese suppliers are ISO 9001-2008 and BSCI compliant.
For Sqwishful founder Jenn, more important than certifications are site visits. They allow her to meet and learn from our supply teams and see their facilities—what they look like, who works there, how they work, and where they go for lunch.
It’s equipped to give pots and pans a gentle but good scrub. Its natural bristles are soft enough to keep your favorite pans safe from scratches—but tough enough to scrub away stubborn stains and food remains.
It’s designed to be an ally in the battle against gunk. With its comfortable grip and densely packed bristles, scrubbing dishes doesn’t require brute force. No workout required! When the bristles wear out, replace the brush head with a simple twist and reuse the handle forever.
While most brushes are varnished and use nylon bristles, Sqwishful bamboo dish brushes are intentionally unvarnished and tufted using sisal from agave plants, a natural, strong, and biodegradable fiber that keeps them 100% compostable and plastic-free.
Toss it in the compost bin, leave it in the yard, or add it to a campfire. Though it may take some time, it will naturally biodegrade and leave behind no waste. When we say Sqwishful products clean and leave the world cleaner—we mean it. And while we don’t like to brag, it's won awards. But don’t take it from us, here’s what our customers have to say.
“My dishwashing workhorse
A handy, well-made, and well-designed kitchen tool. It's been in daily use at the kitchen sink for over a year and is still the perfect general-purpose kitchen brush. Oh, a bonus: a spare head makes a good brush for cleaning fruits & veg.” — JD H.
“Where was this all my life?
Beware of knockoffs! This is the real deal. I use this on pots and pans and love how the natural bristles get in on any excess dirt. Also, love how easy the brush itself manages to look brand new after a quick rinse. I alternate often between my pop-up sponge and my dish brush while I’m doing dishes. Both of them take the lead on all my dishwashing! Highly recommend. —Geraldine M.
Call it Sqwishful Thinking, but we’re here to change the cleaning industry. We’re proud to use sustainably sourced materials like bamboo to make our inspiring, plant-based scrub brushes. And to shine a light on the ways our materials are re-imagining zero-waste cleaning essentials for the future.
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Welcome to our series Materials Matter, where we explore why the materials used in our plant sponges, scrubbers, and dish brushes are better for you and the planet. We’re excited to share more about what makes these materials earth-friendly, sustainably sourced, and simply inspiring.
To launch our series, we're sharing all things wood pulp—what it is, how it's made, and what makes it the best natural material for sponges.
Wood pulp is a fiber made from separating cellulose or the outer cell wall of plants from wood. Thirty-three percent of all plants are cellulose, making it the most abundant organic material on Earth.
Most wood pulp comes from softwood coniferous trees like spruce and pine, but it can also be made from hardwood trees like eucalyptus and oak.
Pulping for paper-making dates back to the 2nd century Han dynasty in China, when paper was first invented using hemp. Later in the Song dynasty, the boiled bark of mulberry trees created higher-quality paper that would replace hemp as one of the earliest examples of wood pulping.
Today, there are a few ways to produce commercial wood pulp. They all start with chipping, softening, and rinsing trees. From there, the pulp is typically made by a mechanical or chemical process. In the mechanical process, pulping is done by macerating wood chips using machines or stone-grounding.
The wood pulp from these processes can then be used to make paper products and textiles, bio-fuel, LCD screens, and—your favorite plant sponges.
Wood pulp is highly renewable, biodegradable, and compostable—making it a staple natural material the world over. These essential qualities give wood pulp a sustainable win over other materials, like plastic.
Sustainably sourced wood pulp comes from well-managed forests regulated to control and fight deforestation—the second leading cause of climate change. To protect old-growth forests from being cut down and endangering the biodiversity they support, tree farms are cultivated, harvested, and reforested to ensure their regrowth and the conservation of their surrounding wilderness.
Unlike plastic that litters roadsides, harms wildlife, is rarely recycled, and doesn’t biodegrade, wood pulp naturally biodegrades, minimizing its environmental impact. Compared to a plastic cup that takes 450 years to disintegrate, a paper cup only takes 2-6 weeks to fully biodegrade.
Not only can many wood pulp products be recycled in curbside paper recycling streams, but they can also be composted to create nutrient-rich soil. Compost used to plant trees or grow new crops reduces waste and creates circular systems—one of our missions at Sqwishful.
As with every natural resource, wood pulp production, too, impacts the environment. Chemically processed wood pulp can pollute the air and nearby water sources. An important reason to look for certifications like FSC and ISO 14001 that help guarantee that measures are in place to minimize these harmful effects.
Before plastic was invented, wood pulp sponges were the gold standard. While plastic has become the cheaper, easier-to-manufacture, synthetic material for sponges, there are many reasons to choose wood pulp sponges or sponges made from natural materials instead (we love a good luffa sponge too!)
With daily use, all sponges break down over time. Plastic sponges release toxins as they break down and slowly become microplastics that pollute our water, land, and air.
Wood pulp sponges can also be used in more ways than dishwashing, cleaning countertops, and soaking up spills. They can germinate seeds, keep houseplants well-watered, or even plug a drafty or leaky window. Other natural sponges, like our luffa scrub sponges, are even great in the shower…talk about multitasking!
Compared with plastic sponges, wood pulp sponges are more eco-friendly, versatile, and historically proven to get the job done.
At Sqwishful, the perfect sponge is plant-based, plastic-free, and compostable. We started with these fundamental ideas and chose wood pulp for its sustainability. To source the best one, we tested different wood pulp sponges from around the world for effectiveness and durability to see how well they lathered, rinsed, and composted.
Today, we work with suppliers who share our vision of a perfect sponge. They practice managed reforestation for renewable growth. They maintain ISO 14001 certification and are committed to environmental standards. And they actively work to reduce energy and water consumption and work with local businesses to upcycle sponge waste.
It lasts forever yet naturally biodegrades. It’s quick-drying and never smells but is super absorbent. It’s gentle on non-stick surfaces yet tough enough to clean even the stickiest stains.
And while we don’t like to brag, it's won Tree Hugger’s Best of Green Cleaning award. When we say Sqwishful products clean and leave the world cleaner—we mean it. But don’t take it from us, here’s what our customers are saying:
“Grocery store sponges get stinky after a while, especially in summer, but these little gems stay fresh smelling until the end, when they finally fall apart from endless scrubbing. I love the shape which make them good at reaching corners. I’ve been buying them for several years already. They really last.” – Marsha
Call it Sqwishful Thinking, but we’re here to change the cleaning industry. We’re proud to use sustainably-sourced materials like 100% wood pulp to make our inspiring, plant-based sponges. And to shine a light on the ways our materials are re-imagining zero-waste cleaning essentials for the future.
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For many, conventional household cleaning is far from clean. Disinfecting your home with chemicals isn't making it cleaner—it's making a mess!
Decades of industrialization have turned the cleaning industry into a powerhouse for toxic chemicals. Common household toxins deemed safe have been linked to numerous health issues, including chronic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, thyroid problems, skin problems, anxiety, and depression.
Sqwishful was born to bring light to these issues—and create solutions. In this blog, we’re sharing why detoxing your home is the best thing you can do for your health and three simple ways to go about it.
To understand the threat these toxins pose to your health, first understand your endocrine system. Your endocrine system is an essential and elaborate network of glands and organs that control everything from your metabolism to your mood. It regulates every biological process in your body from birth to old age.
When Sqwishful founder, Jenn, was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder, she wanted to understand the root cause of her symptoms. She discovered that endocrine disorders are linked to not only diabetes and cancer but also female and male infertility.
More specifically, these health issues have been linked to BPA or bisphenol A, a chemical used to make plastic. It's one of countless toxins we're exposed to daily that accumulate in our bodies and cause chronic symptoms.
Believe it or not, the United States has no regulations for household cleaning products. Companies are not even required to disclose all their ingredients. Compare that to Europe's plan to ban over 12,000 chemicals, and it becomes alarmingly clear why these polluting products are a growing health threat. And why it’s essential to detox your home and body.
With a new chemical developed every 1.4 seconds and no safety standards, many companies have taken advantage of the lack of regulation to load products with toxic ingredients. And now, we’re starting to see the effects of these chemicals on our health, planet, and home environments.
"When our liver is overworked from processing toxins, it causes inflammation in our body that can lead to serious health issues," says Jenn. "We live in a world where we have to actively reduce toxin exposure in order to support restoring our liver's natural ability to detox."
It's hard to see how these toxins behave in our homes with our naked eye—but we can smell them. Have you ever wondered why you can smell certain cleaning products (especially ones with big hazard labels) even when they're unopened?
It’s been proven that some cleaning products, in fact, make the air quality in your home worse. Cleaning products meant to keep your home healthy contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that effectively pollute the air in your home. When exposed to sunlight, VOCs produce a chemical reaction—creating ground-level ozone.
Ozone is a colorless gas that usually stays in the atmosphere—but it can also be created by chemical reactions in your surrounding environment. Although ground-level ozone can happen naturally, the volume of chemicals we use today is causing ground-level ozone to rise to dangerous levels.
Highly irritating, ground-level ozone can have severe health effects, especially for children, elders, and people with respiratory issues.
These are just a few reasons why you should detox your home and why it will help keep your family, home, and the environment healthy and safe.
BPA is one of many toxins found in plastic. Perchlorate is another. The FDA has approved perchlorate for use in plastic food packaging. Even though the CDC has linked raised perchlorate levels and thyroid hormone levels in women.
"While plastic effects us all, female bodies are more at risk," says Jenn. "Engendered ideas about beauty, wellness, and the role of women in households have led women to use more cosmetic, personal care, and cleaning products. These industries are saturated by plastics and petrochemicals."
How did we get here? While plastic revolutionized most industries, its role in rapidly industrializing our country obscured its problems downstream. As plastic proliferated in supply chains—its chemicals are now virtually everywhere—in our air, water, land, and bodies. Recent studies have shown the extent of microplastics found in our bodies, from our blood to our lungs.
Ironically, cleaning products are doing the opposite of getting things clean. Although conventional cleaning products with highly toxic chemicals are more affordable—you’re paying a heavy price with exposure and the risk of health issues.
Luckily, detoxing your home is easier now than ever. Here are 3 ways to get started:
Take a look at your laundry detergent, furniture polish, bathroom cleaners, personal care products, and aerosol sprays. If there are big hazard labels on them, they probably have VOCs, but you can also look for these ingredients:
These are the most commonly used VOCs. Avoid these in any products and switch to non-toxic products. An easy swap is bleach—one of the most toxic chemicals in your home. Simply use vinegar, baking soda, or even lemons instead. They’re entirely effective at keeping your spaces clean without toxins or VOCs.
Reducing the amount of plastic you use is essential to detox your home. Plastic releases toxic chemicals when heated or scratched. And if you’re eating or drinking from plastic, there's always a chance you're consuming these chemicals.
You can avoid a toxic buffet by changing out your food storage containers. Instead of plastic containers, choose from glass, silicone, ceramic, beeswax, and stainless steel containers. You can also replace plastic sponges, scrubbers, and brushes that melt or break down into microplastics and enter our waterways with natural ones. We know exactly where you can find those 😉
Shop plastic-free cleaning essentials →
Using natural, non-toxic cleaning products not only reduces VOCs but refillable solutions cut down on plastic too. Instead of buying liquid cleaners in big plastic bottles or jugs, try refillable tablets or sheets that dissolve in water. Or, you can even make your own cleaners using natural ingredients.
Here's our go-to recipe for a natural surface cleaner:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Mix it all together in a spray bottle and use it to clean countertops!
Looking for more recipes? Allison From Earth shares easy and sustainable DIY recipes we love.
At Sqwishful, our mission is to make the world a cleaner, healthier, and happier place, starting with our homes. After learning how dirty some of the most common cleaners are, we knew it was time to make better options available.
We use natural ingredients to create effective and safe cleaning essentials so you can clean responsibly and with peace of mind. Our earth-friendly products are powered by our commitment to you. Start detoxing your home today with these tips and stock up on plant-based products.
Shop plastic-free cleaning essentials →
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At Sqwishful, our mission is to make the world a cleaner, healthier, and happier place. Our cleaning essentials celebrate the small, daily rituals that make up our lives—like doing the dishes. We believe change is about the little things ✌︎
A small act of kindness has powerful ripple effects. A meal made with regional fare sustains local communities. And doing simple things for the environment can make a difference.
In this blog, we’re sharing simple ways to help the environment from a place of playful curiosity and appreciation, using our values as inspiration.
Having a "less is more" mindset is one of the most impactful things we can do for the environment. Why? Because current consumption trends are unsustainable, and if we don't slow down—we risk carelessly draining our planet of resources before satiating our desire for more.
While online shopping and same-day delivery have made purchasing anything a mere click away, they've also created the perfect storm for over-consumption. As stores lower prices to compete for customers—the quality of products has fallen to match the lower cost of production, giving rise to our present-day throw-away culture.
As a society, we lose sight of the value of things and lose touch with the reality that we exploit the planet’s resources to quench our thirst for stuff. But living with less shouldn't feel like a sacrifice.
Let's consider for a moment:
🌿 Less stuff to stress about
🌿 Less money spent on stuff
🌿 Less time and energy shopping
🌿 Less inner and outer clutter
🌿 Less impact on the environment
So how can we practice minimalism and begin our less is more journey? It helps to start with understanding our needs. What kinds of things do we really need? What are we using, and what is sitting unused in our homes?
Every day, we're bombarded by a constant stream of ads that blur the line between what we need and what is sold as the next on-trend necessity. Some choices are easier to make than others that require us to dig deep and ask, do I really need this?
From a place of awareness, we can make better buying decisions. When we choose to buy from small, local brands, minority-owned businesses, or businesses with a cause, we participate in activism with our purchases.
There are many simple ways to help our planet with every trip to the store. Find what works for you and make it a habit.
Positivity is a simple yet powerful tool that can bring about real-world change.
But with the current state of the world—it can feel naive to be hopeful. According to a recent survey, 84% of Americans are worried about the future. News around climate change can feel scary and discouraging—especially when coverage is narrowly focused on the destruction happening in the world. But remaining hopeful despite adversity is one of our greatest strengths.
Humans universally imagine things being better. We're wired to. This is good news because we can't create a better future without imagining it first. And those experiencing the worst consequences of climate change—can't afford for us to fall into climate despair.
So instead of letting our grief get in the way of future-making, we can use it as a tailwind to motivate action. Whether it's signing petitions, voting with our wallets, cleaning up beaches, eating less meat, or giving composting a try—people are doing incredible things for our planet every day. And they deserve mention! Mention the good stuff the next time you have a climate-related conversation. (Looking for talking points? We share lots of positive climate news on the gram ✌︎)
Let’s bring attention and awareness to highlighting good things and those doing good while cultivating hope and sharing it with family and friends. No one benefits from feeling powerless.
One big challenge our planet faces is our conditioned belief that we are separate from each other and nature—instead of a balanced network of complex, interconnecting, and interdependent relationships. Many of our problems today stem from this disconnect between us, our communities, and the natural world.
A small and impactful thing we can do for the environment is to embrace our community. Meet in the park, volunteer at community gardens, support local businesses, or visit area schools and nursing homes.
Some of our favorite, inspiring activities are organizing street cleanups, clothing swaps, or a community fridge. There are endless things we can do in our communities. Leaning on our communities also helps us to achieve our goals. Studies show that 70% of those who sent weekly updates to friends completed their goals. Got a climate goal? Share it.
If you're reading this blog, then you probably already know that. Every Sqwishful cleaning essential is designed, crafted, and packaged with these values in mind. Our natural materials, minimal packaging, and low-waste small business are all about empowering you to help the environment by doing the simplest thing of all—your dishes.
The power to create change is in the small things—in our everyday thoughts, choices, and actions. We hope you feel inspired to find new and meaningful ways to create change for yourself and within your home and community. And to participate in making a more planet-positive future—where everyone is healthier and happier too.
Shop kind cleaning essentials.
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Are smaller living spaces better for you and the planet? In this blog, we’re exploring the question along with the benefits of downsizing, decluttering, and consuming less.
]]>Research supports that American families are getting smaller, but our homes are getting bigger. In fact, homes in the US have grown by 1000 square feet in the last 40 years as they continue to house fewer people.
Instead, these large homes are filled with things. Items that spend most of their time unused. Some don’t even make it out of their packaging!
Are smaller living spaces better for you and the planet? In this blog, we’re exploring the question along with the benefits of downsizing, decluttering, and consuming less.
Downsizing means moving from your large living space to a smaller (and usually less expensive) one. Most living spaces in oversized homes are left un-lived in. While they consume electricity, require heating and cooling, and end up being filled with furniture and things that go untouched.
This is hugely wasteful, not only for our bank accounts but for the environment too.
Have you stopped to consider the impact of living in a large space? Big houses have a heavy carbon footprint—especially if very few people live in them. They use more electricity, more water, more building materials, and way more furniture.
Downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean you need to move into a tiny house and get rid of all your stuff. It’s about finding balance and understanding what you truly need. Because the reality is, you don’t need that much space, no one really does. And our planet is paying the price for our insatiable need for space.
Smaller houses…
♻️ Save energy
♻️ Save water
♻️ Reduce unnecessary consumerism
♻️ Save lots of money
♻️ Create less waste
♻️ Prompt us to spend more time outside
♻️ Use fewer resources to build and maintain
♻️ Need fewer appliances
These are some ways minimal living supports preserving valuable resources and keeping our planet clean and healthy. And as the population on our planet grows, smaller spaces make it easier to house everyone. But what if you simply can’t downsize?
Minimizing means decluttering your space. It’s having that Marie Kondo moment to take note of the things in your home you actually love and use, and keeping only those things. Although not all big houses are cluttery, we tend to have more things than we actually need. And not only is clutter an eyesore, but it can be a symptom of invisible problems too.
Studies show that clutter can create stress, make it hard to focus, and even affect our relationships!
Our inner environment is usually reflected in our outer environment. A cluttered home could lead to a cluttered mind and become an obstacle—even inside ourselves.
As a society, we have more self-storage facilities in the US than Starbucks and McDonald's combined. That’s a staggering amount, considering the size of our homes continues to grow too.
But how do we even begin to declutter our inner and outer environments?
The first step is to avoid over-consumption. Buying less leads to wasting less, and needing less too. Most of the time, we don’t buy things we actually need. And that’s a big problem in itself.
Instead of setting an alert for the latest fire sale, engage in conscious consumerism. Choose items made to last and use materials that are good for you and the planet. If you’re already living in a small space, but clutter keeps sneaking in, you can find ways to save space.
Ready to Marie Kondo your living space? Decluttering isn’t only about getting rid of your stuff. It's also about re-organizing your home and your life. The best part? You can be more conscious about the things you want taking up space in your apartment and putting your money to work for the greater good.
To get started, ask yourself, what is taking up unnecessary space?
You can ask this question while going through your closet and seeing that dress you haven’t worn in 3 years. Or that old shirt that’s been crumpled in the corner of the room for as long as you’ve been living there.
You can probably find unused items all over your home that can be donated, and things that take up unnecessary space, not just in your closet. This is especially true in your cleaning supplies closet (or shelf, for apartment dwellers!). Big plastic jugs, Costco-sized sponges, a never-ending supply of plastic bags, and giant paper towel rolls take up 90% of cleaning storage spaces.
As a city-living gal, I know the pain of carrying big detergent jugs from the supermarket to the apartment. And then have them take up half the space of my small cleaning compartment.
Luckily, we now have many options for space-saving supplies that are not only better for your health, but also better for the planet. These are my favorite eco, space-saving swaps:
👋🏽 Bye-bye detergent jugs, hello paper-boxed laundry sheets
👋🏽 Bye-bye plastic sponges, hello pop-up plant sponges
👋🏽 Bye-bye single-use paper towel rolls, hello reusable dishcloths
There are hundreds of ways to be more conscious of what you bring into your home environment. And once you start decluttering your home, you’ll see how your mind and habits will follow.
Making the switch to living more minimally with better cleaning essentials not only saves space and creates a healthier environment at home—but it also helps the planet!
At Sqwishful, we craft products that help you clean and leave the world cleaner. All of our pop-up sponges and scrub sponges are compressed for easy storage and to reduce their carbon footprint. Helping you save precious space in your home for the things you actually need.
Ready to re-organize your home? You can now find your favorite Sqwishful products at The Container Store! Marie Kondo-ing your apartment just got a lot easier.
]]>Just in! You can now shop your favorite plant-based and plastic-free sponges and brushes at The Container Store.
]]>We’re excited to join The Container Store family and for Sqwishful’s zero waste cleaning essentials to be part of their Healthy Home and Environment initiative — an entire collection of eco-conscious products and sustainable solutions for your home.
Starting this October, you can find your favorite Sqwishful products at The Container Store nationwide. Look for us in the checkout aisles under “Cleaning and Care for a Healthier Home” 👀 and stock up on cleaning essentials that clean and leave the world cleaner.
Find all our award-winning products:
To make it easier for you to create a healthier home, The Container Store has put together an in-depth guide of their susty solutions.
Find Marie Kondo-approved storage items, natural kitchen products, and eco-friendly essentials for laundry and cleaning that check all the eco-boxes. And healthy-home boxes. Because what’s good for you is good for the planet, too ✔️
And in the spirit of organization, everything is organized in easy-to-navigate categories so you can quickly find what you’re looking for (👋).
As a small business, we've made investing in communities, sustainably sourcing plant-based materials, and designing our products to reduce their carbon footprint our priorities.
Our mission to protect our planet, care for our health, and create change are more than promises. They are our daily work.
We're proud to partner with The Container Store because we share their vision that sustainability starts at home.
As the nation’s leading specialty retailer of organizing solutions, we're thrilled to see the company making strides to have a positive impact. Last year, they joined the EPA Green Power Partnership as one of many companies transitioning to renewable energy.
“As part of our commitment and effort, all of our stores, distribution centers, and corporate office power are offset by our investment in 100% renewable energy, powered by one of the cleanest power sources: wind.”
In addition to transitioning to green energy, the company invests in sustainable materials, innovative solutions to reduce packaging and product waste, and sustainable practices across its supply chain.
By using 100% recycled corrugate boxes, they’ve contributed to saving:
Over 1,600 items sold at The Container Store are made from renewable or easily recycled materials. We’re excited to see that number grow as they offer more eco-conscious products from brands working to create a better future.
As an Asian-American and woman-owned business, we work with and buy from companies that are majority-owned and operated by women, individuals who belong to communities of color, and gender non-conforming founders.
While 70% of our suppliers and vendors are less than 1,000 miles away, we also work with overseas partners. One of many reasons we're happy to see The Container Store participate in the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, “the world’s largest collaborative platform for companies to manage and improve working conditions in global supply chains.”
To learn more about The Container Store, their areas of investment, and their dedication to searching the world over for sustainable products, read their 2021 Sustainabiliy Report or Letter from their CEO.
And search no more! Give your home a healthy refresh with plant-based, plastic-free products that are better for you and the earth.
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Long before soap was invented and stocking up on cleaning products was a thing, we were using plants to clean our spaces. Palms fronds were made into brooms. Herbs were used as disinfectants. Through biomimicry, plants have become our blueprint for modern cleaners.
Here are some of our favorite plants that help clean naturally:
May Chang or litsea cubeba has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries to treat depression, digestive issues, and cuts and wounds. Its flowery, citrusy scent and antibacterial qualities make it the perfect ally to help keep spaces clean.
There are two ways you can use May Chang—add a few drops of the essential oil to a diffuser to purify your home’s air or make your own surface cleaner.
Here’s a great DIY recipe for a multi-purpose surface cleaner:
You’ll need:
Directions:
Mix it all together in a spray bottle and use it to clean countertops!
This hard-to-pronounce plant was used by Aztecs in Mexico to clean. Later, adopted by Spanish conquerors, who named it Soap Tree. The roots and fruit from this plant create a lathery soap that can clean both bodies and clothes.
Native Americans and other indigenous communities have been burning sage for centuries. The ritual of smudging with sage cleanses the energy of a room or person and promotes healing. It is also known to enhance awareness and mood.
Not only are plants responsible for the air we breathe, but a single plant (plankton!) creates more than 70% of all the oxygen on earth. The remaining 30% is made by forests like the Amazon. And we like to think, our house plants, too.
Here are some of our favorite houseplants that purify the air in your home:
This easy-going, climbing plant reduces airborne particles released every time you flush (yes, plants do that!) while looking cute in your bathroom. It will grow in almost any condition and can be invasive, so it’s best to keep it out of your compost pile.
Aloe Vera not only purifies the air in your home, but this drought-resistant succulent also treats and moisturizes your skin. Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used it for its anti-aging properties. Easy to care for and resilient, its leaves can be cut and used for many different purposes.
Unlike most plants that photosynthesize during the day, this succulent plant works hard at night to produce oxygen. It's also great at filtering the air from several chemicals like formaldehyde, making it an ideal plant for your bedroom plant.
Of all the plants studied in NASA's Clean Air Study, the peace lily can remove the most volatile organic compounds or VOCs from the air. A plant-lover staple, its beautiful white flowers make it one of the most elegant air-purifying plants you can get.
We think all plants are worth raving about, and these plants are no exception. They’re as unique as they are cool.
Here are some of the coolest plants we love:
These unusual, primeval plants are also known as air plants because of their unique ability — they don’t need soil to grow. They don’t need to be watered either. They actually grab moisture and nutrients from the air. How cool is that?
With over 20,000 species, orchids are one of the largest family of plants. Like tillandsias, orchids are air plants that can grow on tree bark and thrive without soil.
This one-of-a-kind flower is as unique as it gets. Its corm can weigh up to 220 pounds and grow to 20 ft tall, making it one of the biggest flowers in the world.
Most flowers bloom every season, but not this one. The corpse flower blooms once every 7 to 9 years, and its magnificent bloom only lasts for a day or two. Some take decades to bloom — and when they do, the flower produces an overpowering, rotten smell, where it gets its name from.
Fungi aren’t exactly plants, but we're including them anyway because this fungus is essential for healthy forests. Mycelium is a root system that grows underground — stretching miles across entire forests and natural, wild spaces. The fine thread of mycelium absorbs water and nutrients, creating a network that can spread across both plants and other fungi.
Thanks to this incredible fungus, plants, trees, and flowers can communicate with each other, sending signals and even aiding diseased plants.
At Sqwishful, we believe in nature’s power to cleanse, purify, and inspire. That’s why all our products are plant-powered.
Here are some of the plants we use that we'd like to give thanks to:
Wood pulp cellulose is abundant, making up 33% of all earth's plants. Wood pulp for paper making dates back to the 2nd century Han Dynasty China. Our wood pulp is sustainably harvested from pine that is hearty and durable.
It's believed that ancient Egyptians used luffas for cleaning and bathing. When dried, this tropical gourd becomes the perfect natural scrubber.
Bamboo has been cultivated for over 7,000 years in China and evolved from prehistoric grasses between 30 and 40 million years ago. This unlikely evergreen is quick-drying and naturally antimicrobial, making it an ideal material for cleaning.
This species of the Agave plant was used by the Aztecs and Mayans to make fabrics and paper. Like bamboo, the leaves of this plant are naturally antimicrobial.
Hemp is a strain of the cannabis plant. Hemp use archaeologically dates back to the Neolithic Age in China, with hemp fiber imprints found on Yangshao culture pottery dating from the 5th millennium BC.
From the Sqwisful team — Happy Earth Month!
We’re excited for another year of celebrating plants and creating products that respect and honor our planet.
]]>But what happens when our fast-paced lives are leaving less and less time for us to clean? Somehow, the average person still spends up to 6 hours a week cleaning their home. How? By spot cleaning.
In this blog, we’re exploring this trend and how information, innovation, and climate awareness are helping us spot clean more sustainably.
If you've never spent 6 hours cleaning in your life, chances are you like to spot clean, also known as speed cleaning.
Just like the practice of cleaning a stain before it sets, spot cleaning means focusing on cleaning parts of and not your entire home. This could be the kitchen, the bathroom, or even a smaller area like only the bathtub or counters. You don't need much to spot clean. It’s quick, efficient, and convenient.
But spot cleaning has some downsides too. It prioritizes convenience, making disposable wipes and single-use cleaning products appealing for those with little time. And since most wipes have plastic in them, they’re a growing source of plastic pollution. So much so that the UK is planning to ban them along with stirrers, straws, and cotton buds by 2042.
If you have a special playlist for cleaning, it's safe to say you love to deep clean. Deep cleaning means just that, a thorough clean of all your spaces. This usually includes getting into every nook and cranny of your home with special cleaners.
In the past, deep cleaning meant carefully disinfecting every inch of your home. In recent years, more information about the toxic ingredients in cleaning products has led to a greater understanding of their effects. Now we know more about how these ingredients in our home environment can impact our health—and the health of our environment. This has led to some positive changes in the way we clean.
Given how pressed we are for time, convenience is a top priority for most households. Even if you enjoy a deep clean, there's a good chance you spend more time spot cleaning nowadays.
And whether you're looking for easy ways to speed clean or prefer taking your time, more and more people are choosing healthier cleaning options. Not only can cleaning products hurt our gut health, but they can also disrupt our hormones.
Fueled by clean eating and clean beauty, households are adopting a more holistic approach to cleaning. The result is a mindful cleaning movement that promotes a cleaner way of cleaning that supports our microbiome and the planet's ecosystems.
At Sqwishful, we love finding ways to improve our cleaning routines. After all, sustainable living starts with the everyday rituals that make up our days. And like everyone else, we love convenient products that care for the planet and its people.
If you’re all about spot cleaning and having a clean planet, here’s how you can do both while mindfully elevating your cleaning routines and rituals.
Did you know disposable wipes are made of plastic? After you’re done with them, they’ll sit in a landfill for years to come. Or form "islands" that impact waterways after being flushed that harm human health and marine life.
Instead of using plastic, chemical-heavy wipes, reach for a natural, quick-drying sponge or reusable cloth to clean your surfaces. A single sponge can outlast thirty paper towel rolls. A small change with a big impact.
Shop our sustainable sponges →
Non-toxic cleaning products are a healthy obsession. There are plenty of good reasons why.
Chemical cleaners not only harm the environment—they also impact our health. And you guessed it, not in a good way. Many of the chemicals used in common household cleaners are hormone disruptors. They’re also known to cause asthma and even cancer.
The good news is more cleaning products are free of harsh chemicals now more than ever. Making it easier to replace toxic, disposable, and polluting cleaners with natural, healthier, cleaner ways to clean.
Many brands are going the extra mile by creating cleaning products that make a difference. We also love making all-purpose cleaners at home that not only clean everywhere but are free of all the bad stuff.
Disposable wipes are not the only things making a mess of our environment. Most cleaning products are packaged in plastic that can't be recycled. And to make matters worse, plastic films often contain BPA—a hormone-disrupting chemical you don’t want in your home.
To stop the cleaning industry from making a bigger mess, choose products you can refill and reuse to help tackle plastic pollution. And just as natural cleaning options are becoming more available—so are reusable and refillable products.
Instead of buying laundry detergent in big, bulky plastic bottles and disposable dryer sheets, we love detergent sheets and laundry dryer balls.
But if you can’t find a good refillable or reusable option, look for packaging that can be easily composted.
As more and more of us choose spot cleaning as our go-to way to clean our spaces, we believe in a future where cleaning more often doesn't have to make more of a mess.
Nearly half of US consumers feel that brands should use natural ingredients. While 67% say that limiting plastic pollution is a household care priority. Call us Sqwishful. But we think the trend towards natural and environmentally friendly cleaning is here to stay.
Sustainable spot cleaning in ways that benefit us, our health, and the health of our planet is possible. As is a future where cleaning our homes preserves clean communities, waterways, lands, and air. For a kinder future, reach for plant-powered and plastic-free cleaning products the next time you spot clean.
Shop for our sustainable cleaning essentials →
References:
The Relationship Between Mental Health and Cleaning by Sherri Gordon, 2021
Survey Results: Americans Spend Nearly Six Hours Each Week Cleaning But Wonder, Is It Enough?, Business Wire, 2018
Why the U.K. Is Eyeing a Ban on Wet Wipes, CBS News, 2018
8 Hidden Toxins: What’s Lurking in Your Cleaning Products? by Jessie Sholl, 2020
Cleaning Products Hurt Gut Health by Kathy Wheddon, 2021
Why Everyone Should Care About Endocrine Disruptors by Cheryl Bigus, 2013
Cleaning Supplies and Your Health, Environmental Working Group
Natural cleaning essentials like wood pulp sponges, luffa scrub sponges, and bamboo dish brushes work great in your home. But they need a little love to make sure they endure all the dirty work you give them, stay clear of mold, and clean effectively.
Here's our guide to making your natural cleaning products last and keeping them squeaky clean.
It’s not an exact science, but where you live and how big your household is will influence how you use, care for, and replace your natural products.
Wherever you live, moisture breaks down natural products. People who live in drier regions in smaller households that don’t clean as often have less trouble getting their products dry between uses. People who live in humid regions in bigger households that clean more often will have to put more effort into keeping their products dry.
Here's what you can do to keep your sponges and dish brushes looking and smelling great—like they should.
Our award-winning sponges are free of plasticizers or glues and can be home composted at their end of life. Both of our sponges (wood pulp and luffa) need similar care, so these tips apply to both unless we've noted otherwise.
Here’s how to give your Sqwishful sponges the care they deserve.
Water is your enemy in the fight against moldy and smelly sponges. The most important thing you can do to keep your sponges fresh and clean is to dry them after every use.
To keep your pop up sponge and scrub sponge in the best shape possible, you need to clean them after every use. Simply rub the sides of your sponge together and rinse it out to get rid of any food. Then, give it a good squeeze and let it dry completely.
Yes! Both are top-rack dishwasher safe and come out looking brand new. Or, if you don’t have a dishwasher, sterilize your natural sponges by simply boiling them in water for 5 minutes.
When your luffa gets wet, it returns to its natural gourd shape. Processed luffa, or luffa covered with glue, curls less. To avoid this, our luffa is sewn together with wood pulp. This makes it hug your hand a bit… kinda cute tho'.
Just like your clothes, your sponge will start smelling if you don’t clean it. If your sponge is getting a bit smelly, simply follow the instructions above to clean and disinfect your sponge.
To keep your sponge from getting smelly in the first place, clean it, rinse it, and let it dry after every use. This also makes your sponge last longer!
Throwing your old sponges away destines them for landfill. Luckily, all of our sponges are compostable, so there’s no need to throw them away. Simply cut it into small pieces and add it to your compost bin or your municipal compost bin.
Depending on the condition of your soil, your sponge should compost in one month.
Pro-tip: if you don’t compost at home, some natural grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and eco-minded businesses collect compostable items.
Our natural bamboo dish brushes are free of varnish and can be composted at their end of life. Their tightly-packed bristles create friction without the need for force and without scratching your pans.
Here’s how to give your Sqwishful brushes the care they deserve.
Just like with your sponges, water is your enemy in the fight against moldy brushes. The most important thing you can do to keep your dish brushes free of mold is to dry them after every use.
To keep your brush in top shape, after every use, rinse it and keep it in a dry place to make sure it dries completely. You can also hang it to air dry.
If you notice your brush looking dry or cracked, rub a small amount of fractionated coconut oil on it about once a month. Avoid conditioning your dish brush with food-based oils like vegetable or olive oils that can go rancid. You can also do this to keep the wood from drying out.
Like varnish-free wooden spoons or cutting boards, some cracking is possible if the wood dries out. To avoid that, don’t let the brush soak for a long time and avoid washing it in a dishwasher at high temperatures.
After every use, run your fingers through the bristles to loosen and rinse out any food. Then give it a good shake or blot dry with a tea towel and hang to air dry. You can also try placing it upright in a cup or holder.
It's best to hand wash your brush to keep it from cracking. The high temperature in the dishwasher might dry it out.
Water causes mold to form, so the first thing you want to do to avoid this is to make sure you dry your brush after every use. Air drying away from the sink is the best way to do that, but you can also dry it with a tea towel.
If mold is already forming, try removing it by soaking your brush head in a cup with equal parts vinegar and baking soda. After a few minutes, give it a good rinse. If that doesn’t work, we recommend replacing the brush head.
With proper care, sponges stay pretty clean, but dish brushes have a slight edge. Because the bristles shed moisture, they're easier to keep dry, making them less susceptible to bacteria.
The best way to store your brush is either upright in a dry cup or holder or hanging it. Both help keep your dish brush dry and mold-free.
Instead of sending your old brush head to a landfill, you can compost it, add it to a campfire, or place it in your yard. It may take time, but your brush is 100% biodegradable.
At Sqwishful, we believe sustainable living starts with inspiration. And what inspires us most are the ordinary things that remind us that every day is a clean start.
Shop for our plant-based, plastic-free products.
If you have any other questions, please say hello. We love hearing from you! Seriously. Say hi.
]]>We’re here to answer your questions and shed light on bioplastics, what they are, and the pros and cons of using them. You’ll also learn about our innovative packaging, made with biodegradable, bio-based plastic.
]]>We’re here to answer your questions and shed light on bioplastics, what they are, and the pros and cons of using them. You’ll also learn about our innovative packaging, made with biodegradable, bio-based plastic. Keep reading to learn more!
There is a wide range of bioplastics — some better than others depending on where you live and the availability of recycling or composting programs. A bioplastic usually encompasses two groups: biodegradable plastics and bio-based plastics. One group refers to where the plastic is going (biodegradable) and the other refers to where the plastic is from (bio-based.)
Biodegradable plastics are designed to biodegrade under the right conditions at their end-of-life. Even if they degrade, some biodegradable plastics are petroleum-based. Bio-based plastics are made of plant-based and natural materials — like starches, vegetable oils, chitins, and proteins.
Although most biodegradable and bio-based plastics are plant-based, some of them use corn — a monoculture crop. Many are just as long-lasting as plastic and can end up in landfills and oceans if not disposed of properly.
But not everything is a con — bioplastics have many, great pros too. With only 9% of the world's plastic recycled, biodegradable, bio-based plastics create opportunities for circular economies. Most use less water, and some, are home compostable. ¹
At Sqwishful, we’re using new innovations to bring you better products with less impact on the environment. That’s why we chose to pack our products with a unique, biodegradable, bio-based plastic — Mater-Bi. This bio-based “plastic” film protects the natural materials in our products from moisture without causing harm to the environment.
The production of Mater-Bi requires 30-80% less energy, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The starch-based formulation of this bioplastic is certified biodegradable and compostable at a specialized facility. It also breaks down in a marine environment, if it finds its way there. It leaves no toxic traces when it degrades and it’s made using renewable materials.
These are a few reasons why we chose Mater-Bi as an eco-friendly packaging solution. It's also another way we’re taking further steps to reduce the impact of our products.
Like most environmental issues, the answer is not black or white. The solution to the plastic pollution problem doesn’t just come from replacing plastic with something else. The linear way of thinking is what got us into this problem in the first place.
Globally, we’re currently producing over 380 million tons of plastic every year. ³ Although biodegradable, bio-based plastics (the non-toxic, compostable kind) are a great first step to minimizing plastic waste, they’re not the solution. A huge global effort must be put into recycling and disposing of plastic waste correctly — while adopting principles of circularity.
For bioplastics to have a greater positive impact, a better waste management system is needed. The lack of education on how to properly dispose of bioplastics causes them to get mixed up in recycling streams. When bioplastics and regular plastics get mixed up, the regular plastics are no longer recyclable and the whole lot ends up in landfills or incinerators.
We need better disposal, recycling, and reusing systems that create circular economies and lead to less plastic production. With more circular systems, biodegradable, bio-based plastics have the potential to not only reduce the impact plastic is having on the environment but also help us tackle other areas like carbon capture and food waste.
We have a clear mission at Sqwishful — to help you clean and leave the world cleaner. But this doesn’t only have to do with natural spaces. It also has to do with keeping vulnerable communities clean from plastic pollution and other threats.
In the United States, 79% of plastic incinerators are placed in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Plastic production facilities also target communities of POC. This increases rates of asthma and heart disease and pollutes their air, water, and soil.
When we say “leave the world cleaner” we mean our natural spaces and oceans should be clean and free of pollution. But we also mean healthy communities with access to clean air, water, and soil in all parts of the world.
Our commitment to you and the environment never ends. We’re excited to use innovative tree-free, plastic-free, and compostable packaging for our products. But this doesn’t mean our work is done.
We’re still looking for innovative ways to bring you better products with less impact on the environment. Our next target: home compostable packaging. At the moment, we haven't found home-compostable packaging that withstands the shipping environment without disintegrating. But when we do — you’ll see it in our products.
Our commitment to clean and leave the world cleaner pushes us to keep trying new things, improving, and relying on innovation. We're proud of the work we do and hope you enjoy our products that leave your home and the world squeaky clean.
If you want to learn more about composting and how to properly dispose of your waste, read this.
Are you on a mission to leave the world cleaner? Our zero-waste, compostable cleaning products are the way to start. Shop our eco-conscious collection here.
Sources
1. EarthEasy, Bioplastics: Are They Really Better?
2. Mater-Bi, Bioplastics and Crops: a False Problem.
3. Our World in Data, Plastic Pollution
Summer is here, kicking off a season of enjoying beaches, swimming, and sailing. Time for long walks and bonfires on the beach.
What would we do without our oceans?
Trees have a pretty big reputation when it comes to providing oxygen. But phytoplankton, which are tiny, microscopic algae that live in the ocean, provide up to 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe.⁴ Put simply, without oceans, we wouldn’t be here at all.
If you’ve ever had the privilege of exploring a coral reef, you’ve likely contributed toward an estimated $36 billion, the global economic value of these fragile and stunning ecosystems.³ Coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves support a diversity of marine species that find shelter or reproduce in these habitats. Coral reefs, in particular, support 50% of the United State’s government-regulated fisheries and provide more than 70,000 jobs in southeast Florida, alone.² They even act as natural barriers to storms that could otherwise flood or destroy coastal communities.⁵
Oceans and the ecosystem services they provide are under dramatic threat from things like climate change; ocean acidification; nutrient, chemical, and plastic pollution; and disease.
Increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere contribute to rising temperatures and increased acidity of seawater. Rising temperatures can turn healthy ecosystems into unsuitable habitats, and a decrease in seawater pH makes it harder for organisms like corals, oysters, or mussels to build their calcium carbonate skeletons.¹ Climate change can even exacerbate storms or the spread of disease, and plastic pollution and marine debris can entangle or become ingested by marine animals.
Despite all these threats that face our oceans, it isn’t all doom and gloom. By taking action every single day to take care of our planet, we can nurture our oceans, as they do us.
Want to show our oceans some love?
Check out these organizations dedicated to preserving oceanic ecosystems across the globe. Explore how you can get your feet wet (literally!):
Since 2013, Plastic Free Seas (PFS) is an organization based in Hong Kong dedicated to educating people globally about the importance of using less plastic. PFS has established relationships with over 180 schools to deliver educational workshops to thousands of students. In 2019 alone, they engaged in 72 beach cleanups.
How can you become involved with Plastic Free Seas?
According to PFS, the only way to limit plastic pollution in our oceans is to increase awareness, encourage individuals to reduce their use of plastic, and to push for government policies in support of the movement. Here are some ways you can do just that:
If you are a student or individual:
Organize your own beach cleanup (for information on how to do so, check out the advice from Plastic Free Seas here) or engage in a plastic footprint investigation to track how much plastic waste you generate in a day. Or, use this template to write a letter to your favorite company about making sustainable product switches.
If you are an educator:
Teach your students about the importance of using less plastic with PFS lesson plans. Or, schedule a guest speaker to deliver a 1-hour discussion about microplastics.
If you are a company:
PFS provides instructions on how to reduce plastic consumption in the workplace. Educational workshops are not only for schools – PFS offers “Lunch and Learn” educational workshops that you can schedule for your staff.
For more information about Plastic Free Seas and how to get involved, check out their website here.
Rescue a Reef is an organization created by the Lirman Lab at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, dedicated to restoring Florida’s coral reefs. The organization founded its initiatives in coral research, restoration, and citizen-science.
With the help of experienced research divers and public volunteers, Rescue a Reef works to restore populations of the endangered staghorn coral and to revive coral reef biodiversity. The team grows fragments of staghorn coral in underwater nurseries, and these new coral colonies become outplanted onto the reef substrate in hopes they will reproduce and grow a healthy reef community. To date, the lab has planted over 25,000 corals in both Florida and the Caribbean.
How can you become involved with Rescue a Reef?
Snorkelers or Open Water certified SCUBA divers can sign up here to engage in a day of coral restoration alongside experienced research divers.
For more information about Rescue a Reef and how to get involved, check out their website here.
Project Aware's mission is to develop campaigns at community and policy levels in support of returning to a clean, healthy ocean. Under its Healthy Ocean campaign, the organization targets overfishing, the protection of sharks and rays, and vulnerable species. Under the Clean Ocean campaign, Project Aware aims to reduce chemical and plastic pollution and marine debris.
How can you become involved with Project Aware?
If you’re a certified Open Water diver, join Dive Against Debris to record data on marine debris in the ocean, not to mention, remove it while you’re there. You can even use the fundraising tool kit to raise awareness and money for Project Aware’s conservation initiatives. Using their Action Map, you can find a conservation event near you.
Or, check Project Aware’s conservation tools for free educational resources and toolkits about the latest conservation actions. These could include things like writing to public officials in support of marine policies or taking a course to learn more about marine ecosystems.
For more information about Project Aware and how to get involved, check out their website here.
Oceana seeks to preserve and/or restore marine biodiversity through government advocacy. Oceana uses a team of scientists, lawyers, advocates, and economists to advocate for scientifically backed conservation actions. They engage in oceanic expeditions to document the threats facing the oceans and to communicate this information to the public and to policymakers. They aim to reduce threats from things like overfishing, pollution, and destructive fishing practices.
How can you become involved with Oceana?
Check out Oceana’s 10 Ways You Can Help Save the Oceans, like demanding plastic-free alternatives or using non-toxic personal care products.
If you'd like to help fund Oceana’s conservation efforts, you can donate to their organization here.
Here at Sqwishful, it's our mission to empower us to make better choices, starting with the things we use every day.
We pride ourselves on our plant-powered and plastic-free products and packaging. Every product at Sqwishful is thoughtfully made to ensure that we can limit the waste entering our waterways and actively reduce our carbon footprint.
It's our hope that over time, less plastic in our kitchens and homes will lead to a positive impact on our oceans.
Join us in the movement toward a healthier, cleaner planet and a healthier you. Shop our planet-friendly home essentials here.
References:
1. Current understanding and challenges for oceans in a higher-CO2 world by Hurd et al., 2018
2. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
3. Mapping the global value and distribution of coral reef tourism by Spalding et al., 2017
4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
5. The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction by Reguero et al., 2021
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By now, most of us have seen images of sea birds tangled up in soda rings and whales starved from eating plastic bags. We understand from seeing these images that plastic pollution is killing our marine life.
What is hard for us to see is that it is killing us too.
Now that 8 billion tonnes of plastic are circulating on earth, microplastics can be found everywhere. In the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Humans are now exposed to plastic before birth. At every stage of its lifecycle, plastic poses a risk to human health, causing cancer, heart disease, and an array of health problems. Lifelong exposure, inhalation, and ingestion mean that we are heading toward the same fate as our largest mammals.
Women are the least protected members of society, especially in vulnerable communities that suffer the most from plastic pollution.
But women everywhere are experiencing the consequences of plastic on our personal health.
Eight years ago, my doctor told me that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women after aging, affecting up to 26% of women worldwide. It's also closely associated with long-term health issues like diabetes and ovarian cancer.
My diagnosis explained why I had sharp pains and irregular bleeding. But none of my doctors could explain why I had PCOS. And only one had any advice: to have kids and remove my ovaries.
It wasn't the advice I was expecting, so I did my own research instead.
BPA is a chemical used to harden plastics. Scientists the world over have observed this link. In almost every study, reproductive issues and cancers were linked to BPA and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. According to the Endocrine Society, Danish women under 40 working in the plastics industry sought more fertility assistance than unexposed women of the same age.
To understand why – we need to look at our biology and how we are subjected to gender roles and inequality.
Our bodies generally have more fat tissue than male bodies which, is where harmful chemicals from plastic are stored. We also rely on our hormones to regulate our monthly cycles, which can be disrupted by environmental toxins.
Engendered ideas about beauty, wellness, and the role of women in households have led women to use more cosmetic, personal care, and cleaning products. These products and their industries are saturated by plastics and petrochemicals. But often, exposure is not a matter of choice.
In many parts of the world, women have fewer employment opportunities and workplace protections. Those who live in rural communities or belong to the urban poor are seldom protected by policies to ensure their health and safety. Most informal waste pickers are women. As are most salon workers, hairstylists, and manicurists. These work settings expose women to plastic and toxins daily while lacking regulations to support safety measures such as proper ventilation or the use of gloves and masks.
Centuries of female bodies being excluded from most of medical history have led to diseases being only half-understood. While the other half remains a mystery. According to Dr. Janine Austin Clayton from the National Institutes of Health, "we literally know less about every aspect of female biology compared to male biology."
In the early 20th century, scientists discovered the elaborate network of glands and organs that make up our endocrine systems. They found that it used hormones to control everything from our metabolism to our mood. They also found that it's the only system other than our reproductive system that differentiates male from female bodies. This breakthrough led scientists to understand essential differences between the two and paved the way for more research. But different did not mean equal.
Medical research trials were not required by law to include women until 1993. Even today, research about women's reproductive health receives a fraction of funding compared to men's reproductive health. In fact, there is five times more research into erectile dysfunction, which affects 19% of men, than there is about premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90% of women.
While researching hysterectomies, I came across this description on a women's health center website led by a male OBGYN:
Curing PCOS with a hysterectomy is like cutting off your feet to keep from getting athlete’s foot. No more feet, no more athlete’s foot. The good news, unlike your feet, your ovaries are something you can live very comfortably without.
The irony is that doctors don't actually recommend amputating your feet to get rid of athlete's foot. They do, however, recommend hysterectomies for treating PCOS. Without more awareness about the gender health gap, doctors resort to what little research is available, leaving women suffering from chronic symptoms with few options. So, what can we do?
Understanding the unique relationships women and men have with plastic allows us to look at more effective and equitable solutions.
While most people can't live plastic-free, there are reusable alternatives to most single-use plastic items. The goal isn't to remove all plastic from everyday life. But to minimize their convenience and stop supporting the handful of producers that continue to profit from the world's plastic crisis.
By supporting women’s rights, environmental justice, and narrowing the gender health gap, we can protect and empower healthier societies. We can inspire a new generation of advocacy and activism. Save countless sea birds and whales. And heal our humanity too.
My deepest thanks to the women who contributed to this article.
Models
Kim, Blue Brew Tea
Celine, Conspiracy Chocolate
Shawn
Krystal, 852 Prints
Photographer
Aanchal, Matryoshka Studio
Clothing
Sophie, Róu So
]]>Call It Sqwishful Thinking but we're here to change the cleaning industry. By decolonizing "clean." And offering solutions that are equitable, circular, and carbon-saving.
]]>Call us Sqwishful. We believe that something we want to happen can happen. Especially when it comes to our everyday choices and the impact we can make.
Given our current climate crisis, some might call this wishful. We call it Sqwishful – a name that embraces our hopes for the future based on our greatest gift.
At its highest potential, our imagination can create new realities while holding space for our current ones. Our ability to consider and share unfounded possibilities is what makes us human.
Often, it's our most unlikely ideas that define us. It's what put men on the moon and text on this screen. It's what gives us the courage to dream in the face of reality.
Our mission to protect our planet, care for our health, and create change are more than promises. They are our daily work. By sharing them with the world, we hope to inspire and empower everyone to do the same.
We're here to change the cleaning industry. By decolonizing "clean." And offering solutions that are equitable, circular, and carbon-saving.
As a small team, we won't achieve this overnight or alone. Which, is why we're excited to set goals for the year ahead and share them with you, our community 👋🏼
We've made investing in communities, sustainably sourcing plant-based materials, and designing our products to reduce their carbon footprint our priorities. While we're proud of the work we've done, there is more we can do.
That's why we came up with our Sqwishlist, a list of goals we hope to achieve over the next year. Throughout, we'll explore topics to learn more about the evolving climate space and imagine ways to make it better.
As an Asian-American and woman-owned business, we strive to uplift communities of color and support women and gender non-conforming founders. We do this by working with, and buying from, companies that are majority-owned and operated by individuals who belong to these groups.
Our suppliers, vendors, and brand partners are:
✦ Our goal is to increase the percentage of businesses owned by women and gender non-conforming founders to 75% by 2022.
As a sustainable business, we believe in building circular economies based on the principles of "designing out" waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
When we source materials, we start by looking at a material's environmental impact. How renewable is the crop? What does the lifecycle look like? How much energy, water, waste, and carbon get consumed or generated in production?
An example of this is our switch to tree-free packaging. While we still love kraft paper, we found that sugarcane fiber, or bagasse, puts less strain on forests. Using bagasse diverts leftover sugarcane husk from incineration or landfill. It supports an economy for waste material that preserves its value over time. Producing paper from bagasse consumes significantly less water and energy and generates less CO2. It can also be treated like ordinary paper and processed in the same recycling stream.
Currently, 100% of our products and packaging are compostable and meet one or more of these categories. Compared to 83% of our shipping materials, which we can do better to improve.
✦ Our goal is to make 100% of our shipping materials compostable and design a framework for measuring and becoming more circular by 2022.
Becoming carbon neutral is a big challenge for small brands. Measuring the carbon footprint of every material at every stage of its journey from seed to shelf can be tricky. And as a small brand, working with numerous suppliers and vendors offers us less control over every aspect of our supply chain than if we were vertically integrated.
Over the years, we have found suppliers and vendors who work with small brands to achieve higher standards.
When sourcing, we look for materials that are lighter and have a lower upstream CO2 footprint. When designing, we look for ways to minimize waste and further reduce weight, helping lower C02 downstream.
By design, compressing our sponges allows us to use less packaging and storage space and reduces transportation costs. An astute customer once pointed out that nothing should get lighter by simply compressing it. The thing about sponges is that they love to absorb moisture, even from the air over time!
Our compressed sponges are not only smaller when compressed but drier and thereby lighter because they hold less moisture content. At 1/3 of the weight and 1/8 of the space of a conventional sponge, our compressed sponges significantly reduce storage and transportation costs.
We also support local businesses. Almost 50% of our suppliers and vendors are located less than 400 miles from our warehouse. And about 70% are less than 1,000 miles away.
Currently, all of our order deliveries are carbon neutral. We're sourcing offsets from the Acapa – Bajo Mira y Frontera Forest Conservation Project in Colombia through Pachama to counteract the emissions from shipping every order. We also plant trees. To date, we have contributed to planting 29,988 trees in 22 locations as part of the Eco-Packaging Alliance.
✦ Our goal is to increase the percentage of local businesses we work with by 10% and design a framework for reducing, measuring, and offsetting our carbon footprint by 2022.
Angela Davis said, "we have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society." Any lasting change starts with how we think and view the world.
One aspect of our work that's essential but difficult to measure is dismantling ideas about "clean." It's how we approach creating solutions that are equitable, circular, and carbon-saving. And what we hope to normalize alongside believing in our individual and collective actions.
Well, there it is. Sqwishful as a philosophy, paradigm, and path. We're taking ordinary things that inspire cleaner, greener living to new heights. And dreaming up a better future using the simplest of tools. We invite you to join us.
]]>First, we made our packaging plastic-free. Now, it's tree-free too.
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At Sqwishful, we love working with zero waste shops to offer our products package-free (if that's you, say hi.) But some channels, like grocery, require us to package our products to protect them from moisture during distribution.
Thanks to our certified, industrial compostable, starch-based bags, nobody will get a sad, half-popped-up sponge at Whole Foods. If you've seen our sponges in the cleaning aisle recently, you may have noticed our new look. Our packaging is now tree-free, and we couldn't be more proud.
From the American coast to the Brazilian wetland to the Australian bush, wildfires raged last year in response to climate change, struggling economies, and loosened environmental regulations. Despite record-breaking fires, deforestation also poses a threat to forests as demand for single-use paper products remains at an all-time high.
According to the World Resources Institute, we lost 12% more tropical, old-growth forests in 2020 – adding 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Thankfully, tree-free alternatives are on the rise, and products traditionally made from virgin wood pulp, like toilet paper, are now made with bamboo. More households are also choosing reusables like sponge cloths and sponges over single-use paper towels.
But more than half of the paper produced globally is destined for packaging. While we use wood pulp for our reusable sponges, we want to protect trees that sequester enormous amounts of carbon from being fated for single-use. This is why we had to do something about our packaging.
Bagasse is sugarcane fiber. After cane juice is pressed, the leftover husk can be made into paper, feed for livestock, or raw material for energy production. Like wood pulp, sugarcane fiber is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable.
But unlike wood pulp, paper made from bagasse diverts agricultural waste from being burned or ending up in landfills where they contribute to greenhouse gases. And unlike trees that can take ten years to mature, sugarcane is a year-round crop that can be harvested up to three times annually. Not only does making paper from bagasse generate less C02, but it also consumes significantly less water and energy.
Using bagasse, we feed two birds with one scone by adding value to crop waste while putting less strain on fragile forests.
What happens at a product's end of life is just as important as the beginning. Our sugarcane packaging can be placed into paper recycling streams and recycled 3-4 times. Or like all of our products, added to industrial or home compost and returned to the soil.
As we strive to be more sustainable, we're always looking out for new materials. Our goal is to design earth-friendly, carbon-saving products that leave the world cleaner. That includes our packaging, which is now tree-umphantly tree-free.
]]>Since continuous learning leads to intentional growth, we'll share our learnings here on our blog renamed Clean Break.
We hope our short, digestible reads on culture, climate, lifestyle, and the inner workings of our small, sustainable sponge brand will invite curiosity and conversation.
Thanks for being part of our community and inspiring us to do better.
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As an optimist who loves to clean, I love finding things that help us create meaning in our daily routines. As a woman of color, I have complicated feelings about Western representations of springtime renewal and homemaking bliss.
In my home growing up, my mother used vinegar to clean everything. Takeout quarts were used to organize drawers. Cookie tins held sewing supplies. Napkins were torn in half and conserved. Today, she would be considered low waste and eco-minded. Back then, she was scrappy and resourceful.
Spring cleaning à la capitalism is, in a lot of ways, the opposite of the immigrant experience. It prioritizes Western ideas of homemaking, encourages consumption, and perpetuates colonialism that exploits the work of women and BIPOC.
For those new to this idea, decolonization is the process of deconstructing colonial ideas that sustain the superiority and privilege of western thought and practices. In this case, ideas giving civilized, wealthy, white societies the power to decide what is clean and who does the cleaning.
Here are some ideas to dismantle.
During the 19th century, British imperial advertising made whiteness synonymous with hygiene and civility. Soap empires were built on the promise of a better life in exchange for raw goods and slave labor from colonized countries.
Colonial ideas about cleanliness were reinforced by the science versus primitivism binary that implies that native people lack the scientific knowledge to care for their land or bodies. Giving colonial settlers the right to assume responsibility for both.
In conservation, settlers claim sovereignty over lands instead of respecting their caretakers. In health and wellness, they impose Western ideas of beauty and hygiene over cultures instead of respecting their traditions and values.
From the Far East to the West Indies, colonizers have weaponized science to maintain their own health and wealth. While extracting resources from stolen lands and labor from stolen bodies.
Nothing about any of this sounds clean, right? Right.
Before our latest pandemic, of which there have been many, alcohol or bleach were never needed for household cleaning. Neither were harsh chemicals or plastic. All cleaning before the twentieth century required very few, if any, commodities. There was no multi-billion dollar industry there is today.
One thing people ask about our products is if they really clean, implying that products made from natural materials only work half as well.
That suspicion is not surprising, considering how most products in the cleaning aisle today are synthesized from toxic ingredients, petrochemicals, or both. We buy them anyway because their labels say that they are 99.99% effective.
Store-bought cleaning solutions often exaggerate the threat germs pose to our health and offer solutions that obscure what nature already provides. All living organisms have some form of hygiene, but we humans like to think we invented it.
Meanwhile, our lands have never been more polluted or our bodies more sick.
Should people stop buying cleaning products in stores? No. Some of them are great, including ours. But they are not the only solutions, nor are they necessarily better than what some people have access to or can make.
By 1963, the U.S. government had drawn a hard line between suburban housewives and inner-city working mothers by anointing the stay-at-home mom as the American and Christian ideal. The myth of the suburban housewife was born, and upper, middle-class white women parading appliances came to define aspirational living.
After the wars, military factories were converted to manufacture commodities. Companies needed a way to convince people to buy things and get middle-class women to stay home. Admen created the first Betty's to sell dishwashers. While Black women did most of their cleaning.
Contrary to mid-century or even modern-day media, not all homemakers are white or women, and there is nothing optional about their work. This seems obvious, but like conservation, cleaning is a white-washed space. BIPOC doing housework or cultivating land exposes our colonial history.
Throughout history and across cultures, women and men do different things to manage their households. Often together, in multi-generational homes where aunts, uncles, and grandparents share in the work. There is nothing more mythical than the lone housewife fulfilling all the needs of her household. Women have always had help because it is simply impossible for any woman to do everything or have it all.
Ironically, the area where the West was slowest to adapt was hygiene. Europeans were not known to care for their bodies to the extent that other civilizations did. Native Americans bathed in rivers and streams. Chinese people took baths in tea. Not even European kings bathed until the 18th century – and even then with their clothes on.
A rule of every Asian household is leaving your shoes at the door – an ancient custom that we take for granted, like the idea that sometimes, the best way to clean involves no cleaning at all.
In a category where BIPOC are often misrepresented or invisible, I want to celebrate the stories outside western traditions. The ones that are not on morning shows or magazine pages but say a lot about our humanity.
So we asked four of our BIPOC friends what tips, memories, or experiences of cleaning, cleansing, or cleanliness were passed down in their homes or from their cultures. We hope that sharing their stories will decolonize cleaning and re-center the conversation around different cultural perspectives.
Stay tuned for more.
Special thanks to Kalo from Kalo Make Art Studio for her "Decolonizing Clean" brush pen calligraphy.
Getting existential, righting the wrongs of a previous administration, and ringing in a new era of transformation.
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On his first day in office, President Biden brought the United States back into the Paris Agreement, banned the drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, put a stop to the Keystone XL Pipeline, and restored science to tackle our climate crisis.
Basically, what you would expect from a President determined to confront the existential threat of climate change and make it the focus of his executive orders in his first week.
The orders aim to create millions of clean energy jobs, help us reach net zero emissions by 2050, reform the fuel economy, rebuild a new generation of energy-efficient homes and electric cars, protect a third of all public lands, reduce methane emissions, and devote resources to fight pollution. Especially, in communities of color that are hardest hit.
The new administration will have its hands full.
Despite Biden's first executive order to review and restore those protections, doing so will take time. It will also take bipartisan cooperation and a "whole-of-government" approach despite political power shifts and opposing views. To help create his vision, Biden has established a National Climate Task Force, bringing together leaders from twenty-one federal agencies to take on its climate agenda.
To guide its decision-making, the new administration has welcomed science back into policymaking, advising agencies to make only "evidence-based decisions guided by the best available science and data." A seismic shift from Trump-era policymaking that often silenced or side-lined scientific research, which Biden condemned, "undermines the welfare of the nation, contributes to systemic inequities and injustices, and violates the trust that the public places in government to best serve its collective interests."
But change won't happen overnight, or even in one hundred days. While Biden's lasting legacy may be restoring our country's unity and trust, his starting message to the world is clear: it's a new day.
Featured Image: Earth taken by Apollo 11
]]>Times are dark. The world is on fire amidst a global pandemic as our administration continues heading the wrong way. Sir Isaac Newton said that an object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an external force.
Joe Biden has announced his plan to turn the tables on our climate crisis. As this year’s election nears, we’re reviewing why Biden’s plan paints a brighter future for us all.
For starters, Biden plans to get America to net-zero emissions by 2050 with a 100% clean energy economy. The former vice president is calling on the executive branch to impose pollution limits on new and existing oil and gas operations, as well as revisiting the Clean Air Act to develop new fuel economy standards. But lowering emissions doesn't end with roads. It extends to air and sea. Biden’s plan also addresses the need to focus on developing plant-based biofuels to reduce emissions from planes and watercraft.
Holding Big Oil accountable for pollution is especially important if we want environmental justice for communities of color and indigenous peoples. These groups are more likely to live near sacrifice zones that are vulnerable to air pollution, exposure to hazardous contamination, and with less access to healthcare, insurance, and aid. Despite negatively affecting the health of these communities, corporations are enabled by elected officials and policymakers to pollute their homes. Biden's plan intends to change that.
Another disparity is the lack of clean water for many Americans. Water infrastructure is high on the list in the Biden Plan. The plan promises to enforce system upgrades to prevent waste and implement checks for lead and other water contaminants. Low-income communities have suffered undrinkable tap water for far too long, and Biden is determined to punish those responsible to the fullest extent by law. (Finally!)
Additionally, his plan calls to put a worldwide ban on fossil fuel subsidies. The presidential candidate says that there is no room for rewarding the oil and gas industry with financial relief. (We agree!) Within the first year of his presidency, Biden hopes to set an example for the rest of the world by banning these subsidies in the U.S. and reinvesting these resources into building clean energy infrastructure.
By curbing polluters, the Biden Climate Plan also stands to protect our ecosystems. By conserving more of America’s land and water by 2030, we’ll preserve the biodiversity that is essential to our planet's recovery. Recently, the Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to polluters by allowing leases for drilling oil and gas. This poses a threat to 1.5 million acres of our coastal plain, home to wildlife and indigenous communities that are at risk.
Wildlands are not the only lands that need better governance. The plan addresses many different contributors to the global climate crisis, including the agricultural and food industries. The challenge is to innovate new technologies that help us reduce emissions caused by growing food. One of these methods is to take carbon dioxide from the air and store it underground. This method is known as carbon capture and storage, or CSS and this technology is something Biden plans to develop, scale, and deploy across the U.S.
It's expected that $1.7 trillion will be invested over the next 10 years to radically change the face of the climate crisis. Where will this money come from? According to Biden, from reversing tax cuts given to corporations by Trump and pushing tax evaders to do their part like the rest of us.
The Biden Climate Plan takes a hard look at the state of our country and its priorities under the current administration. Until we act, the forces that be will remain in motion with devastating effects.
If the Biden Plan succeeds, it will lift the metaphorical (and literal) haze from the proverbial picture of our future. What would we see instead? A world where the equity, beauty, and vitality of all living things are shared. A sight to behold.
]]>Nothing is more rewarding than a healthy harvest filled with abundance. But what happens when that abundance goes to waste?
]]>Fall is here, and farms, businesses, and customers are getting ready for the harvest season. All the sweat, soil, and tears are coming together for the grand finale: reaping what we sow. Nothing is more rewarding than a healthy harvest filled with abundance.
In 2010, the United States reported close to 40% of its food supply was wasted. That's 133 billion pounds of food waste and lost energy, resources, time, and labor. Today, Americans spend 35% more or $218 billion a year on food never consumed, in a world where hunger affects many.
How did we get here? In our linear “take, make, waste” economy, we take natural resources, make products from them, and dispose of their waste. Food waste is the number one pollutant in landfills, producing methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
We'll need governments, businesses, and consumers to accelerate circular economies, based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Essentially, creating circularity that provides for consumption while restoring the environment and closing the loop.
In principle, circularity isn't new. Romans recycled trash. Aztecs recovered organic waste to fertilize crops. Societies throughout history harvested materials and made them useful, kept them in use, and returned them to the earth to start again.
Here are some companies innovating natural materials and using agricultural byproducts and food waste to create closed-loop systems and products.
After seeing the environmental impact of producing leather, Dr. Carmen Hijosa developed Piñatex, a natural textile from pineapple leaf fiber, a byproduct of the fruit industry. Similarly, Circular Systems uses crop waste from banana trunks to create blended luxury fabrics, saving millions of tons of banana waste from burning each year.
Pineapples and bananas aren't the only fruit waste in the tropics. Coffee beans from coffee cherries are ground to produce 2.25 billion cups of coffee every day. As the largest recycler of coffee grounds in the world, Bio-Bean upcycles grounds into products ranging from natural flavors in food and beverages to clean fuel and logs for your fireplace.
Our friends at Sabai make sofas and pillows using fabrics made from natural fibers and recycled water bottles. They're moving towards no longer using glue, which makes it so most of the sofa can be recycled, and their packaging is plastic-free too. It's also great to see that their Essential Collection was recently nominated by Interior Design Magazine for Best of Year under the Environmental Impact category. Congrats!
We love biotech company Ecovative for their work with mycelium from mushrooms. Their farmed and engineered mycelium replaces meat in foods, plastic in footwear, and styrofoam packaging used in apparel and skincare.
Over here at Sqwishful, our products are also plant-powered and harvested from edible plants such as luffa, bamboo, and hemp. Unlike plastic that's only been around for less than 100 years, these natural materials have been cultivated for 10,000 years.
Our growers practice managed reforestation methods that ensure renewable growth and (you guessed it!) support a circular economy. All of our products and packaging are compostable and can return to, and regenerate, soil that promotes new crops and a healthy biosphere.
Making the transition from “make, take, waste” to “use and reuse” will require collaboration and innovation. We'll need to bridge ancient wisdom with modern technologies. We'll need to find more and better ways to rethink and repurpose waste to create long term value that discourages pollution and supports sustainable living. Then, we'll have the very best abundance – abundance without waste.
]]>If you've ever wondered, "are paper towels bad for the environment?" you may want to keep reading.
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America, we have a problem. We consume a quarter of the world's resources even though we make up only 5% of the population. That's because our throwaway culture thrives on single-use items that seem to know no end: plastic bags, straws, napkins, toilet paper, cotton swabs, and so much more.
One of the biggest offenders, however, are paper towels. Paper towel waste, especially in the United States, paints a surprising and staggering picture.
Americans love using paper towels so much that, according to market research from Euromonitor International, the U.S. consumes nearly half of all the world's paper towels. Imagine roughly $12 billion in sales, and half, belonging to a single country. Compare that to France, which only spends 10% of what the U.S. spends, and is the runner-up.
A common misconception is that since the U.S. has a larger population, more money spent on paper towels makes sense. However, per capita, the average American spends 50-60% more every year than Europeans, and almost 500% more than Latin Americans.
And all before 2020. Paper towel sales have soared since the pandemic, increasing by more than 200%.
With so many Americans hooked on paper towels, why should we think twice about using them? Aren't they earth-friendly? That's up for debate.
Unlike reusable goods, paper towels are used once and thrown away. They're not recyclable, even if some are made from recycled materials. According to its 2017 report, the EPA “did not identify any significant recovery of tissue products for recycling." Instead, many single-use paper products end up in landfills where they generate methane as they break down, a greenhouse gas 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
So, why do we use so many of them? Laurie Jennings, the director of Good Housekeeping Institute suggests that our paper towel obsession is driven by our desire for immediate results. If you’ve never considered how to stop using them, it’s because decades of advertising have convinced us that they're convenient. Despite that, they were seen as inferior to kitchen towels and cleaning cloths when first introduced.
Do we need half a roll to wipe up spills or dry our hands, or can one sheet go a long way? Is there a more sustainable alternative like a reusable sponge or dishcloth we can use instead?
Sqwishful sponges are not only reusable but dye and plastic-free. They easily wipe up spills and keep countertops, sinks, and surfaces clean. And after a month of daily use, can compost to create soil for pot plants, garden beds, and yards.
Paper towels, on the other hand, can only be used once, making them less resource and energy-efficient. They're also less absorbent, which creates the need to use more and encourages consumption.
When we look at the cost of convenience, what's not up for debate? Small things add up, especially when it comes to waste.
Treating waste as an important and valuable resource presents an opportunity to move away from our "use-and-toss" culture towards a more circular one. The European Commission has already adopted a zero-waste program for the EU with countries like Denmark leading the way. What does that look like? According to Ellen Macarthur, whose foundation helps businesses and governments transition, it's about creating economies based on "designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems."
With the help of businesses and governments, we can become more circular too. By using natural and reusable products, composting and sharing, and preserving our planet's precious resources.
]]>Celebrate safely and sustainably.
]]>There's no question that the year 2020 has been one for the books. Every day feels like a new challenge, and it’s okay to take a step back from all the problem-solving. But if you're like us, and feel motivated by the changes that are taking place, there's still a lot that can happen this year and a lot that we can do.
Plastic Free July is here, the annual pledge to reduce single-use plastics. Over 250 million people took part in the challenge last year. Some relinquished ordering takeout, others organized beach cleanups. But with the global health crisis and COVID-19 on the rise, both will be much harder, if not impossible, to do this year. So what can we do instead?
Except for policies that have been reversed in favor of big companies, laws benefit the people, and for generations to come. This month, an advocacy group seeking to reduce plastic pollution around the world called the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), has created free resources with actionable steps we can all take from the safety of our homes. Here are three petitions organized by the PPC that are gaining traction, and could use our help!
Stop the Plastics Industry Association from convincing the U.S. Department of Health that single-use plastics are the only germ-free solution in a post-pandemic world. In a recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, both doctors and scientists represented by the CDC and NIH found that, out of five different materials, such as copper and cardboard, plastic was the material that the novel coronavirus lasted the longest on.
Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 (Senate Bill 3263, HR 5845). If passed, starting January 1, 2022, the bill will begin phasing out single-use plastics and set aside cash for the government to provide incentives to citizens who reduce their plastic consumption. The money would also be directed to creating programs to give back to consumers for returning containers while taxing carryout bags.
Tell your representatives to protect our drinking, tap, and bottled water from microplastics. Downstream, plastic waste, synthetic fibers, microbeads, and other materials are deposited into our oceans and sources of drinking water. Toxic chemicals eventually make their way from these products into our bodies, which is the last place any of us want them to be.
Maine became the first state in 1991 to adopt mandatory recycling programs for retail stores. Since then, seven other states have followed suit with their own environmental policies, banning single-use plastic bags, and more. In 2019, New York decided to ban plastic bags by law, while taxing paper bags to support the Environmental Protection Fund, focused on “protecting the environment while enhancing communities.”
In the past, the United States has had a slow but steady resolve in embracing legislation that positively impacts environmental and human health by reducing plastic consumption. This work should not be undone, especially when health experts promote the safety of reusables and other alternatives to plastic.
Now's the time. Speaking up about these causes is more important than ever as plastic bans come under attack by industry lobbyists.
When it comes to lawmaking, change may not happen overnight. But our actions serve as a symbol of hope for future generations, reminding us of what it takes to truly make a change.
Stay updated with more Plastic Free July ideas and other ways to contribute at www.plasticfreejuly.org.
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