Bamboo Products: 7 Sustainable Alternatives You Should Try
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With consumers becoming more aware than ever of the impact their shopping choices have on the planet, now is a great time to look at 7 examples of how bamboo is becoming a viable eco-alternative. In this blog, we’ll cover 7 sustainable bamboo alternatives to common household items from toothbrushes to re-usable cutlery to toilet paper.
Bamboo toothbrushes
Plastic has long dominated the oral care industry and it’s not hard to see why. Being (too) durable and incredibly cheap, manufacturers have long opted to produce our toothbrushes with plastic without having the foresight to see how they are polluting the Earth. Switching to bamboo toothbrush is a simple decision. Whilst boasting many of the same qualities and functionality as plastic, bamboo has the added benefit of being 100% biodegradable.
Reusable straws
It’s great to see that governments around the world are banning single-use plastic straws, but the question is: what’s going to take their place? Many companies are replacing plastic with paper and while this seems to be an eco-alternative on the outside, we’re overlooking the energy used and impact on deforestation paper straws has.
Anything made to be used once is probably not worth having if you’re trying to act sustainably. The alternative? Bamboo straws not only solve the problem of deforestation (it’s the quickest growing plant on Earth), but because of its durability and natural antimicrobial properties, it can be reused many times.
Reusable coffee cup
You might be shocked to find that many billions of coffee cups are thrown away each year around the world. Not only do these cups end up in landfill, taking years to break down, but they also pose a major littering issue for local communities.
Moreover, a single takeaway cup requires 0.6 litres to create and has a subsequent carbon footprint of equal to over 60 grammes of carbon dioxide. Now times this a few billion times and you can begin to comprehend the massive issue at hand.
Changing to a reusable bamboo coffee cup can save over 100 cups going to landfill (based on consumers using takeaway cups twice a week) each year. This might seem insignificant, but even if a few hundred people change their attitude huge benefits are possible.
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Bamboo soap dish
When choosing a new soap dish, many people think they have 4 options available to them: - wood, stone, metal or plastic. The issue with these materials is that they involve deforestation, air pollution or an unnecessary amount of energy to create.
Bamboo is a prime candidate to take over from these materials. Sustainably sourced and easy to extract, soap dishes made from bamboohave a host of other benefits attached to them too.
Perhaps the best attribute it has when it comes to use in the bathroom is its natural antimicrobial properties. When purchasing a bamboo soap dish, opt for the models with efficient drainage systems - your soap will thank you!
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Cotton buds
Another item on this list that is starting to be outlawed is single use cotton buds. Many billions of cotton buds are used annually around Europe with many ending up at landfill. Another issue we face is when people flush cotton buds down the toilet. Due to their inability to biodegrade, when plastic cotton buds are flushed down the toilet they form masses which eventually leads to blocked drains.
Are cotton buds really that necessary? If you insist on using them, it’s better to get a biodegradable version such as bamboo cotton buds. You’ll also want to make sure the cotton used is organic - regular cotton has a massive polluting effect on the planet.
Reusable cutlery
Whilst it might be convenient, plastic cutlery is terrible for the environment. Not only are they dirty to produce but they can’t be recycled (even if you think they can) due to them being contaminated after use. With billions of these non-recyclable items being used every year, we need to start using alternatives. In 2014, it was estimated that 5 TRILLION pieces of food and drink related plastic was found present in our oceans - this is devastating for marine life.
Bamboo cutlery sets are the perfect way to steer away from plastic pollution. You’ll usually find sets that include a knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks and a straw leaving you with no excuse to use plastic versions. Not only are the cutlery sets biodegradable, their durability ensures they will last you for many years.
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Bamboo toilet paper
Regular toilet paper may be the last product you think of when it comes to products that have a damaging effect on the environment. On the contrary, toilet paper manufacturing is a shockingly wasteful process. Some of the issues with the process include deforestation and major water waste.
An alternative you can try is bamboo toilet paper. Fully biodegradable and sustainable to produce, every household should be looking to make this simple swap.
So there we have it, 7 simple, everyday products you can start using today to live more sustainably. Keep in mind that every little sustainable change like using bamboo products helps the plastic-free movement! If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable living, you can visit our blog or head over to goBambu where they also have a number of resources.