Are natural sea sponges greener than synthetic shower poufs?

Be green while you get clean.

By

PlentyMag.com

Tue, Mar 24 2009 at 3:49 PM

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Organic Makeup

Q. I'm trying to green my bath and beauty routine, and I'm wondering about natural sea sponges. They seem to be more eco-friendly than plastic shower poufs, but they come from live animals and I'd hate to contribute to the depletion of ocean species. Is it green to use a sea sponge? – Marianna, MT

A. A little background: Sea sponges are some of the oldest and simplest multi-celled organisms on the planet. They live in almost every aquatic environment, filtering nutrients from the water through their pores. Humans have been bathing with their spongy skeletons for thousands of years.

According to an article from the University of Florida, there are two methods for harvesting sea sponges: fishermen either dive for them, cutting them from the sea floor with knives, or they spot sponges from the surface of the water and tear them loose with long hooks. If enough of the sponge is left behind, it will regenerate itself. Cutting sponges increases the chance of survival, but the U of F estimates that even hooked sponges will grow back about a third of the time.

So the sea sponge’s regenerative properties make it an ideal candidate for sustainable harvesting or even farming. Unfortunately, although some personal care companies do tout their bath sponges as being “sustainable,” there’s no third party certification in place as of yet to verify their claims. That said, we don’t seem to be in danger of over-harvesting: Synthetic sponges still dominate the market, and Florida, the nation’s largest supplier of sea sponges, currently produces about 60,000 pounds of sponges per year. That’s a mere tenth of what the state was producing before World War II. Truth be told, global warming is probably a much greater threat to the humble sponge than are beauty companies.

It’s worth mentioning, also, that the process of turning a live sea sponge into a beauty product produces very little waste, and requires no chemicals. Sea sponges are biodegradable, to boot, not-endangered, and lack a nervous system with which to feel pain.

So we say go for it. Just don’t tell your kids their new scrubbie used to be Spongebob, or you’ll never get them in the tub again.

Finally, a bit of trivia, to wrap things up: Many sea sponge farms, like this one in New Zealand, cultivate sponges for medical research. Natural chemicals in these critters have been shown to kill cancer cells—arguably a greater feat than skin exfoliation, and reason number 147 for us all to work to preserve our planet’s precious biodiversity.

Story by Rachel Brown. This article originally appeared in "Plenty" in December 2008.

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Comments: 8

Aubyn Stafford May 27 2011 at 11:58 PM

Synthetic bath puffs are made of plastic mesh, which is derived from petroleum, aka OIL. The process of making plastic pollutes the air, depletes non-renewable resources and, as we've seen with the recent situation in the gulf of Mexico, the process of getting the black stuff can have disastrous consequences. One also must consider the other end of the issue: where it goes when it leaves your bathroom. That puff is eventually going to wear out and when it does, it goes in the trash can. The puffs

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are just some plastic mesh bunched up with a rope, and when plastic mesh and netting like that makes the journey from your trashcan to the the landfill and then possibly take a detour into a stream, then a river, then the ocean, they ensnare fish and other marine animals and float around like a miniature fishing net killing things. So if you really care about sea creatures, don't put aside your qualms about an individual invertebrate and look at the bigger picture. Or, just get a loofah instead. Sea sponges are also great because they have an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agent in them.

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Waikiki Apr 27 2010 at 12:21 PM

I heard you could stick one in the blender, then strain it with a coffee filter and it could still regenerate back. Does any body know if this is true or bull?
timmietam@hotmail.com

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Devika Jan 12 2010 at 3:39 PM

This article was helpful as I was concerned about unnecessarily causing of harm to the sponges and the eco system. This is something for which I would have to think on a bit more. Even though it is said the sponges can be taken in a nice way, too many people are not interested in nice. They want to get the job done and get their paycheck. Reading more about this from an ethical company who takes the time to ensure mother nature is put first as well as the well-being of the living sponge would be

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helpful. I will be checking out the Natural Bath and Body Shop as well as some other websites to form an opinion of my own. I am impressed with Steve5's sensitivity to the living creatures large and small and his concern about the carbon footprint we leave. It is a special person who thinks in this way.

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Devika Jan 12 2010 at 3:51 PM

Replying to my own comment. After reading up on the sea sponges I personally don't feel good about using them. It seems unnecessary and I would feel guilty for a few reasons: that all that trouble was gone through for me to bath with the sponge when I could use cotton or a sustainably harvested plant fiber. It is a living being considered an animal for which 'The sponges are picked, then prepared by beating them until the living cells fall off of the skeleton. The skeleton is the part that you use.

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'-taken from comment on the VeggieBoards. I would also be concerned that the oceans would be polluted by the vehicles and people who are out to get the sponges. Seems an unfair trade. The gathers of the sponges could be causing a lot of other damage like injuring corals...who knows? I'll just stick with what I am using to bathe with and leave the sponges alone.

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BinJabreel Apr 13 2010 at 2:39 PM

A sea sponge can often regenerate from a single cell. They're more like a colony than an animal in the traditional sense. You can even shove one through a sieve and reduce it to dust without killing it.

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steve5 Oct 23 2009 at 11:16 AM

My only 'isssue' is if such a natural sea sponge actually feel any pain despite not having any nervous system.

Perhaps my concern is whether it is actually proper to use other animals for our pleasure and not for necessity (bathing is not a necessity not that anything is implied)

It just got me thinking after some discussion over it being an animal

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starlar8 Dec 02 2009 at 6:45 PM

Get over it steve5. The Romans used sponges in theirs Baths. AH! and also to wipe and clean their Butts. Enjoy!!

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Marc Mar 18 2009 at 6:41 PM

Thank you for the great answer article about Sea Sponges. I am the proprietor of the Natural Bath & Body Shop which currently is the largest online source for sea sponges and loofah products. We only use natural methods to clean and prepare them. Most of the process is simple elbow grease and sheep shearing scissors. As a thank you, we have created a coupon code for your readers. During checkout use coupon code 'mothernature'. We made it active through May 1 2009 for 10% off your entire

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purchase at our e-store. Thanks again, Marc.