The kitchen sink presents a challenge for many who are on a journey to eliminate plastic from their household, but it needn't! Sponges, dish cloths and dish brushes are often made from synthetic, semi-synthetic (viscose rayon) and plastic materials, contributing to microplastic pollution in our oceans. Plus, they almost always come wrapped or tagged with plastic, which either ends up in our environment or is added to landfill where it will never disappear. Dishwashing liquid is contained in plastic bottles and dishwasher tablets are often wrapped in plastic. Well what if we told you you can do the washing up completely zero waste and without any plastic at all! Read on to see our simple tips.
How to wash the dishes without any plastic at all
Plant based cloths and brushes A Swedish sponge cloth is an excellent replacement for Chux style wipes and even paper towels (in fact one can replace up to 17 rolls of paper towel in in its lifetime). The are made from 70% wood cellulose from FSC certified forests and 30% cotton, and can absorb 20 times its weight. The Swedish dish sponge air dries quickly, plus can be thrown in the washing machine or boiled to be freshened up. For pots, pans and other items that need a bit of a scrub, plant based dish brushes and scrubbers come in handy. The Biome community have long loved the Safix Fairtrade coconut fibre scrub pad, and the EcoMax dish brushes are are sturdy and reliable. All of these items can be composted at the end of their life. Be sure to remove and recycle the stainless steel components from the dish brushes first though. Solid dishwashing soap and an old fashioned soap shaker Stainless steel soap shakers have been around for generations (maybe your grandma or mum has one!) and today we're bringing them back! Pop a bar of solid dishwashing soap into the cage, close it up, shake it around in your sink of water, and watch the suds form. This is the perfect plastic free washing up liquid replacement! Soap shakers are also known as a suds maker, soap saver, soap cage or dish swisher.
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Biome acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation (Burwood), Bundjalung, Yugambeh and Koombumerrii people (Southport), and Yuggera and Turrbul people (Meanjin / Brisbane) as the traditional owners and custodians of the land that we work on. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
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For pots, pans and other items that need a bit of a scrub, plant based dish brushes and scrubbers come in handy. The Biome community have long loved the Safix Fairtrade coconut fibre scrub pad, and the EcoMax dish brushes are are sturdy and reliable. 
All of these items can be composted at the end of their life. Be sure to remove and recycle the stainless steel components from the dish brushes first though. Solid dishwashing soap and an old fashioned soap shaker Stainless steel soap shakers have been around for generations (maybe your grandma or mum has one!) and today we're bringing them back! 
Pop a bar of solid dishwashing soap into the cage, close it up, shake it around in your sink of water, and watch the suds form. This is the perfect plastic free washing up liquid replacement! 
Soap shakers are also known as a suds maker, soap saver, soap cage or dish swisher.
