Biodegradable Natural Sponges

biodegradable spongeAnother Green Festival find were sponges. This may sound odd, but how many of you think of sponges when going green?

Well I have two types of sponges to introduce you to, one is a skincare sponge for your body, the other is a natural scrubber sponge for your dishes and household. Skin and beauty products were well represented at the Green Festival, but the Konjac sponge caught my eye as being a bit unique. It is a product out of Japan that is handmade, bio-degradable and completely sustainable.


Developed by Konjacu and made from the root of the Konjac plant (Amorphophallus konjac), this 100% vegetable fiber sponge has an amazing texture which is difficult to describe. It felt very soft, held a lot of water and was the perfect balance between soft and exfoliating for sensitive skin. The vegetable fiber is a weak alkali agent, which in turn, neutralizes any acids.

The plant has been grown for centuries and has been a Japanese traditional food. In Japan, Konnyaku has been used for more than 1500 years as a food and health plant. Konjac (Konnyaku) sponges last about 2 months, and can then be composted or left to bio-degrade naturally.

Twist has paired a biodegradable cellulose sponge (which are made from cellulosic fiber) with a loofah (which is made from the gourd of the loofah or luffa vine – Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca) for a kitchen eco wonder sponge.

They also offer a burlap hemp scrubber and pretty much any other kind of natural sponge or scrubber you need. All made without dyes or bleach, these are in fact all natural and biodegradable.

hemp scrubber sponge

Actual live sponges that live in the sea (of which the sponge is modeled from) can be grown sustainably as they are fast and easy to grow. They are also quite beneficial to the environment as they can clean up turbidity from and algae from the ocean. The draw back is that you usually don’t know where the sponge came from, if it was grown sustainably. I am sure there are some sustainable operations out there, so post up if you are one or know of one.

Comments 2

  1. Dear Sir/Madam,

    Very interesting article!!

    Actually we are the only manufacturer of this natural Pureganic KONJAC Fiber puff & sponge in Korea.
    And our products are selling #1 in both Korea & Japan.

    Please contact me at yspark @ j-in.co .kr for more information.

    Look forward to hearing you soon.

    Thanks,

    YS Park

  2. Dear Madam/Sir,

    Allow me to introduce myself and what we do. I am Mr. YS Park who is a vice president of J-IN Co., Ltd. We (J-In Co., Ltd) are the only manufacturer of 100% sustainably developed natural vegetable fiber facial cleansing puff & bath sponge in Korea since 2003. Our factory is located in Jeju Island, where known as pure nature and head office is in Bundang-Gu, Sungnam-City, Kyungki, Korea.

    You might be interested in hearing our sustainably developed 100% Natural Vegetable PUREGANIC(Pure + Organic) Fiber Puff & Sponge Collection. This is made with 100% all natural vegetable fiber called “KONJAC”.

    What is KONJAC PUFF & Sponge?
    It is an all-natural sponge made from KONJAC roots, both Alkalinity and carries a natural cleansing agent so soap or cleansing foam is not necessary.

    Main ingredient “Glucomannan”
    Is naturally purified vegetable fiber with extra fine texture.
    It is perfect for cleansing even the most sensitive skin.

    Pureganic Fiber Puff & Sponge Unique Features
    Perfectly remove Horny Layer.
    Excellent water retention.
    Perfect for thinned & sensitive skin.
    Gently exfoliate your skin & bring the natural shine.
    Deep cleanse skin pores eliminating blackhead, dirt & oil.
    Kill acne-causing bacteria.
    Gently balance out of the pH of your skin.
    Extra Soft texture is ideal for sensitive skin.
    Naturally moisturize and shines your skin.
    Perfect for T-zone & eye area on your face.
    Natural netting fiber structure

    Additional Information
    100% All-natural with No Preservatives and No Harmful Chemicals.
    Ideal for Allergy-Sensitive Skin & Baby Skin including Atopic.
    Naturally Sustainable & Environmentally Safe.
    No Pollution at all & Bio-Degradable.

    Our primary products are the Pureganic KONJAC puff & sponge Collection ranging from facial cleansing puff, body-wash, face-wash, baby-wash, to hospitalized patients.

    In Japan, this Puff has been widely used for a long time. We have been supplying the products to major Plazas and Drugstores, and in Korea, major Cosmetic companies, Baby Goods companies, Skin Care Medical product companies and Mega Marts are carrying our Puffs & Sponges also Hong Kong Sa Sa as well. Our products are selling # 1 in Korea & Japan.

    Our products are unique, but we have been getting a good reputation by our customers for a long time. We have our own brand ‘Reve” and also provide OEM for interested buyers. In these days, it is a perfect reserved home item for every family against new flu H1N1.

    For more information, please visit our web http://www.j-in.co.kr or contact me at yspark@j-in.co.kr and detail materials will be forwarded to you upon your request.

    I look forward to hearing you soon.

    Best Regards,

    YS Park

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