Sustainability September 15, 2022
Wet-It! Sponge Cloths Allow Consumers to Ditch the Disposables
A common product in Sweden, the absorbent cloths replace around 17 paper towel rolls during their lifetime.
When Matilda Davies moved to the U.S. from Sweden as a teen in the late ’90s, she was shocked by just how much people threw away.
“It’s a very disposable society,” she recalls.
In particular, Davies was surprised by the ubiquity of single-use items like paper towels, when reusable, compostable sponge cloths had already been the norm in her native country for decades. “I was actually rather surprised to find out they were not so widely used here,” she adds.
So, as an adult, she and her husband, Justin, decided to change the dynamic and import some of that reusable ethos into American homes. “She had a vision to bring things from her country that were not popular here,” Justin says.
Thus was born Wet-It! Swedish Treasures (asi/98116), and the Davies started selling custom decorated sponge cloths to mom-and-pop shops and boutique retail locations. Not too long after, the company also began making inroads in the promotional products market.
“This product’s been over in Sweden since 1949; it’s been around for a very long time,” Justin says. “It’s just now gaining traction in the U.S. … It’s a fun, functional item that you can use around the house.”
@theresahegel_asi I recently spoke with Justin and Matilda Davies of Wet-It! Swedish Treasures about their sustainable paper towel alternatives, and they sent me a sample with the Promo for the Planet logo on it. Of course, I had to test out how absorbent these bad boys are! #sustainability #reusablepapertowels ♬ Soak - Matilda Pearl
Wet-It sponge cloths start out stiff as cardboard, but can quickly absorb six paper towels’ worth of liquid.
Wet-It cloths can absorb about six paper towels’ worth of water, and they last for six months under normal use. One sponge cloth “basically replaces about 17 paper towel rolls,” according to Justin. Used cloths can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher or thrown in the laundry to disinfect before reusing. Once they start to break down, the cloths – made of a 70-30 cellulose-cotton blend – can be safely disposed of in household compost bins, decomposing completely in a matter of weeks.
Wet-It! Swedish Treasures (asi/98116) can add custom designs to its sponge cloths.
The supplier can customize the sponge cloths with full-color designs, using water-based inks, rather than plastisol. Wet It! Swedish Treasures has done orders for “Good Morning America,” the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and is licensed with 48 different colleges and universities.
The company is also working on new eco-friendly cleaning products, including what Justin describes as a “terry cotton scrubby with a coating on it” that allows users to clean pots and pans, grout, or even golf clubs.
Though the Davies’ company is still small and their product somewhat niche, they say they’re excited to see their hard work finally come to fruition as more distributors learn about their offerings and end-users increasingly ask for affordable, eco-friendly products.
“No doubt, we’re not even a minnow in the promo tank, but we aspire to perhaps be an algae-eater one day,” Justin jokes.
What Can You Do?
The United States spends nearly as much on paper towels as every other country in the world combined, according to data gathered by The Atlantic a few years ago. Tissue paper and paper towels amounted to about 3.8 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018, according to the most recent data available from the EPA. How can we reduce our dependence on paper towels?
- Look for reusable alternatives. Whether it’s a sponge cloth from Wet It! Swedish Treasures or the tried-and-true kitchen towel, there are many options to replace paper towels in your kitchen or car.
- Normalize “kitchen hampers.” If you’re using rags, towels or reusable scrubbing cloths, you’ll be generating more dirty laundry in your kitchen than typical. Consider a small basket to toss dirty towels before they make their way to the washer. That will help you keep your kitchen neat and avoid cross-contamination.
- Consider cloth napkins. Remember a few years ago when millennials were accused of killing the paper napkin industry in favor or paper towels at dinnertime? Instead, it might be worthwhile to buy a few sets of cloth napkins to rotate throughout the week. An added bonus? It will make that Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner seem extra fancy.
Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.