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Your kitchen sponge is plastic.
Every time you use it, it sheds.
Scientists now detect microplastics throughout the human body — in blood, lungs, liver and bone. The kitchen is one of the most avoidable sources of daily exposure. Here's what you can do about it.
Conventional kitchen sponges are made from polyurethane and polyester — synthetic plastics. As they wear down with daily use, they shed particles into the water, onto surfaces, and near the food you're preparing. Heat and friction make it worse — and the kitchen is one of the most preventable sources of exposure in the home.
Why your sponge matters more than you'd think
Your sponge is plastic — the kind that breaks off
The standard green-and-yellow kitchen sponge is made from polyurethane foam and polyester fibres. Both are synthetic plastics. Every time you scrub a pan or wipe a surface, tiny fragments shed into the water and onto everything around them. Unlike plastic packaging you handle briefly, a sponge sits in hot water being physically worked every single day.
Heat matters. Researchers at Imperial College London found that heat and hot water are among the worst conditions for releasing plastic particles from household items. A kitchen sponge ticks every box. BBC Future, 2025
Microplastics are turning up throughout the body
Scientists now find microplastics in most human tissue they examine — blood, lungs, liver, kidneys, bone and skeletal muscle. A 2024 study in the New England Journal of Medicine linked microplastics in arterial plaques to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events. A 2025 study found them in human brain tissue, with higher concentrations in people diagnosed with dementia.
Prof Fay Couceiro, University of Portsmouth: “It’s not asbestos. They’re not going to immediately cause a specific harm, but it’s more likely that they’re going to damage your cells and create a burden on your overall wellbeing.” BBC Future, 2025
Conventional sponge vs Seep
We’re ingesting more than ever before — and it’s rising
Human microplastic consumption has risen sixfold since 1990. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have confirmed microplastics are present in almost every human tissue studied, with recent samples showing far higher concentrations than those from 20 years ago. Reducing exposure where you easily can is a practical, evidence-informed step.
“Excellent products, hard wearing and don’t leave any visible residue or microplastics.”
Natural loofah: the same job, nothing synthetic to shed
Seep’s sponge scourers are made from natural loofah and plant-based cellulose — no polyurethane, no polyester, no synthetic fibres. When they wear down, there’s nothing plastic to shed. Tough enough for pans, safe on non-stick, and dishwasher-safe to extend their life.
Why loofah? It’s a plant — a member of the cucumber family. It dries into a naturally abrasive, open-weave structure with no plastic processing required. It scrubs because of what it is, not what’s been added to it.
One order. A whole year sorted.
12 scourers. Good Housekeeping tested and approved. Over 250,000 households have already made the swap. You can’t eliminate every source of microplastic exposure — but the thing sitting next to your sink, in hot water, every day, is an easy one to fix.
“This is a great solution to keep your kitchen and dishes clean, in fact the entire house without harshness or microplastics, very happy!”
One simple swap. A whole year of microplastic-free cleaning.
Join 250,000+ households who’ve already made the switch.
Get your year’s supply
Eco Sponge Scourers
12-month supply
12 natural loofah scourers. One order. Done.
Just £2.38 per month
- 12 natural loofah scourers — zero microplastics
- Lasts a full year
- Tough on grime, gentle on your home
- Dishwasher-safe — stays clean for longer
- Free UK delivery over £35
- Good Housekeeping Approved 2025
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Microplastic-free cleaning products
Microplastic-free cleaning products
