Plastic-Free Dishwashing
Last Updated July 10, 2021
While there are many other areas in the kitchen that can generate plastic waste, there are a few easy swaps to eliminate the plastic waste from washing your dishes.
From bottles of liquid soap to sponges and brushes, you could easily go through a few of each of these every year–especially with spending more time at home during COVID-19. So here are some easy swaps.
Soap
If you use a dishwasher, this makes things easier. No need for sponges or brushes, just use a powder detergent that comes in a cardboard box that can be recycled.
Or try liquid pods that come in a cardboard box.
If you wash dishes by hand, see if there’s a local refillery near you. Refill shops are becoming more popular with people trying to avoid plastic. You simply bring in your container and fill up on liquids and powders such as dish soap or shampoo. These shops also have reusable containers for sale.
If there are no refill shops near you, check out some online refill stores. In Online Refill & Bulk Stores, I talk about a few options including The Good Fill, which I use for liquid dish soap.
When ordering refills online, the store will send you a pouch with a return label or envelope. You simply pour your liquids into a jar at home, stick the label on the pouch or put the pouch in a provided return envelope and send it back. The stores clean and reuse the pouches which saves on waste!
Another great option is a dish soap block. Similar to a shampoo bar or bar of soap, when you remove the liquid you don’t need the plastic bottle!
To use a dish washing block, you wet your brush and rub it on the block to lather the brush. Then wash your dishes with your soapy brush.
Sponge
So, you’re set with soap, now onto the sponge. I like these fully compostable sponges from Blueland. I like that they have a sponge side and a scrubby side to remove cheese and other food stuck on your dishes. It’s not quite as good as the type of plastic sponge my mom has used for 30+ years but it gets the job done.
I’ve also tried these vegan dish washing eco-sponges which were recommended to me by some zero wasters. They are biodegradable and compostable. They start off as very flat discs and puff up when wet but, for me, they don’t work quite as well as the Blueland ones.
Scraper
I love these bamboo scrapers! I’ve found that after using these I don’t even need a brush. Between these and my compostable sponge, I can get the job done!
Plus, they last a long time. I’ve been using my first one for over a year and it’s still going strong. I make sure to keep it in an area where it can dry off between uses.
Brush
Maybe you’re not convinced by the scrapers or you’re quite attached to brushes. No worries. There are plenty of wooden brush options with natural fiber bristles, which means they can be composted. I like this one with coconut fiber bristles for cleaning my sinks.
What do you think? Do you already use some plastic-free options? What are some of your tips for washing your dishes? Tell me in the comments!
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