Plastic Shower Loofah

Plastic use is a hot topic right now and I see these horrible plastic loofah/shower puffs (poufs) everywhere I go so I tested some to see just how much plastic they are really made up of and what effect they will be having on the environment - I was astounded at just how much netting is wound up in such a small bundle of fluffiness.

There is 3.5 metres of plastic netting wound up in a standard size puff which consists of nylon (synthetic polymer) or ldpe (low density polyethylene) and once the thin piece of string holding it all together breaks down or falls apart the impact becomes huge. We all know the damage that 3.5 metres of plastic mesh netting can cause to our marine and bird life.

There are some shower puffs available that are made from recycled plastic, which goes a little way to helping deal with the plastic problem but at the end of the day it's still plastic netting that has to be disposed of at some point.

Alternatives

There are a few alternatives available all depending on how much exfoliation you want for your skin:

• Of course there's our NZ grown loofah
• A natural fibre crocheted loofah - usually cotton
• A sisal fibre scrub pad
• A thick cotton flannel
• A pumice stone
• Bamboo body brushes
• A Sea Sponge

With alternatives readily available is there any need for these plastic loofahs anymore?