Non-Food Specialty Item 2008

Outstanding Non-Food Specialty Item 2008: TWIST®  European Sponge Cloth #20

Customers looking for a green alternative to wiping up spills and scrubbing sinks can now turn in their paper towels for the Twist® European Sponge Cloth #20.

Made from sustainable pine trees, the cloth is 100 percent biodegradable within eight weeks, as well as reusable and anti-bacterial. (Users can toss the sponge in the microwave for a minute or put it in the dishwasher’s top rack.) Founders Brian Ross and Egil Wigert claim that one sponge will outlast 17 rolls of paper towels. As a bonus, the sponge’s packaging folds up into an eco-friendly, reusable bird feeder.

Wigert, who grew up in Norway, was accustomed to using sponge cloths for cleaning, and saw a potential market for them here in the U.S. “Not only do they save you money, they are good for the environment,” he says. “The cloth absorbs 12 times its weight, making it appealing for retail customers, bars and restaurant kitchens. Our product is more durable and lasts 25 times as long as traditional terry rags.”

Combining design with environmental responsibility, the European Sponge Cloth #20 is constructed of the cellulose from sustainable pine trees in Norway. The company also makes its own salt in a plant in Mexico to create the “holes” in the sponge that make it porous.

“Our goal is to market, sell and promote biodegradable, all-natural cleaning tools,” add Ross and Wigert. The Twist family of sponges also includes the Euro Sponge #10, Loofa Sponge #50, Naked Sponge #55 and Bamboo Cloth #35, made of bamboo and corn. Suggested retail: $3.99/3 pack; twistclean.com.—Nicole Potenza Denis

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