Yesterday I was washing the dishes and found myself contemplating sponges; or rather, imagining huge slimy piles of discarded cellulose sponges in our landfills. I want a biodegradable option.

From my Mexican travels I learned of the loofah vine, climbing up rooftops and taking over like a weed. When the seedpods dry out, what's left is the delightfully rough fibrous interior. Loofahs make wonderful scrubbers in the bath. Why not use a loofah to wash dishes too?

Much to my delight, I've found that Twist makes a loofah sponge. For traditional sponges, Twist is still your source. The cellulose they use in their Euro Sponge comes from sustainable tree farms and is biodegradable. Twist also reuses 99.7% of their production waste. Now that’s a sponge you can feel good about - and you can even toss it in the compost when you're done. (Prices vary, see stores.)

Image: Twist