yes obviously that's the whole fucking point

so do pencil erasers, polymer composites being sanded, varnished wood being sanded, paint being sanded or abrasive-blasted, and, as the abstract points out, synthetic fibers (though in that case it's not the whole point)

Thank you for the sanity.

In case it's not obvious to everyone, melamine sponges are also known as "magic eraser," so the entire point is that the melamine (a plastic commonly seen in old brittle dishware) wears away into abrasive dust as you use the eraser.

I fantasized about a product made of, essentially, toilet paper, for removing soft adhesives. As it is rubbed, it sheds, then the rolling effect eventually absorbs the adhesive. Works well for sticker residue.

i've been using table salt for this lately. of course this also creates microplastics

the 'magic eraser' name is also mentioned in the abstract (the paper itself is paywalled)

Ignore the title. The paper looks reasonable. It characterizes the process of break-down which will enable the design of better products in the future.

what is your idea of 'better products' in this context

you can use real sponges (the sea animal), cellulose sponges, washcloths, or dishwashers