Those earplugs may have helped you have a great night's sleep or block out some of the loud noise at a concert, but did you ever think about what happens to them when you throw them away?
According to Dezeen, sustainable wellness startup Gob has created a pair of "compostable" earplugs made out of mycelium, which is the "fibrous underground root network of mushrooms." They break down in 45 days and add nutrients to the soil.
They look just like yellow safety earplugs, but instead, they are a light cream color, just like the mushrooms they were made from.
The earplugs were made with agricultural byproducts, and a custom robotic system shaped them into small cylinders.
The product resulted in a hypoallergenic earplug, meant for one-time use, that fits securely in your ear and works like memory foam. Gob also said that the earplugs provide excellent acoustics.
The Gob team said: "Our aerial mycelium foam naturally dampens sound by evenly knocking down all frequencies, ensuring a balanced acoustic experience without distorting what you hear."
While these earplugs will be great for your concert, you also don't have to worry about them landing in a landfill since they are compostable. According to Cotral Lab, most earplugs are made out of plastics, and millions of them end up in landfills every day. Some of them end up in waterways, too.
Unfortunately, regular earplugs are not recyclable or biodegradable. When they end up in waterways, they can cause damage similar to plastic straws.
When the plastic decomposes, it breaks down into microplastics. It poses a threat to marine life in waterways, but it has also entered human bodies. It can negatively impact human health, including neurological, reproductive, and immune health.
🗣️ Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a refillable product?
🔘 Saving money 💰
🔘 Reducing plastic waste 🗑️
🔘 Using less shelf space at home 💁♀️
🔘 Getting easy refill deliveries 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The best way to stop so much plastic from ending up in landfills and oceans is to use less plastic and support eco-friendly health and beauty brands that have healthier ingredients for you.
The Gob website says: "Earplugs might not sound like a big environmental problem, but … the world manufactures 40 billion of them a year. (If laid end-to-end, 40 billion earplugs would stretch over 2.4 million miles, which is enough to wrap around the Earth nearly 100 times)."
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