bamboo vs plastic

And so, it’s already well-positioned to keep up with any growth in consumer and production demands. Which got me thinking… We use our finite oil reserves to make new plastic. Bamboo cutting boards are more hygienic than those made of plastic. Because plastic is inexpensive to produce, it is often overlooked that it takes over 1000 years for it to biodegrade – if it even does at all –  and the extraction process alone takes a large toll on the environment. Bamboo products are quickly replacing many plastic items for a number of reasons. Growing bamboo does not require fertilizers or pesticides. Marine life is suffering from our lack of care and ignorance12. Tapping into a natural material that is already widely grown can present cost advantages when at scale. Why Switch To A Bamboo Toothbrush? When going for hygiene you would take into consideration the plastic toilet seat, as it maintains the new look for longer periods giving you an easy time when cleaning. Be that more cost-effective or with less harmful manufacturing. But, bamboo is a renewable and natural material (unlike plastic), and bamboo straws are generally reusable, and can be composted (as long as they are labelled as such) at the end of their life cycle. As a result, as any natural Bamboo products do get to the end of their useful lives, once discarded they will not take thousands of years to decompose. And masses of plastic waste is washing up on beaches, with 60-80% of marine waste consisting of plastic13. Due to this, bamboo has been gaining in popularity and added into the consumer goods marketplace in order to reduce the reliance on plastic as well as other resources, such as paper. Bamboo, It is mechanically stronger and lighter than PVC. Alternatively, bamboo toothbrush handles take around six months to fully compost. Like trees, bamboo is considered a renewable resource. Therefore, we must increase our use of sustainable natural alternatives which biodegrade naturally. Posted on December 4, 2019 December 6, 2019 by Major Newbie. The stem of the bamboo plant is cut into pieces. It is easily and readily available. Further, unlike plastic, Bamboo is also fully biodegradable and compostable3. Bamboo Straws Again, bamboo straws are not bendable like a plastic straw is. Bamboo has become the “green gold” of today because it has so many positive qualities when compared to harmful … Further, we’re also starting to see increasing amounts of textiles used for clothes being sourced from Bamboo fibres. It can also help to offset CO2 emissions, which is another key benefit. As a result, we are now looking for alternatives to plastic. This stem is hollow but strong. Plastic – Why is bamboo better. However, bamboo did not protect them as well, and boards that were more solid than wood or plastic, like glass or metal, did not protect knives at all. Biodegradable and compostable alternatives will inevitably come from several sources9. Various chemicals including sulfur and sodium hydroxide are used in order to obtain the cellulose fibres that are then used in textile production. Melamine Vs. Molded Bamboo® Get the facts about Melamine dinnerware and dishware and learn why Molded Bamboo® is the next big thing. Way back when, before the toothbrush and toothpaste, people would use rough cloths, salt, twigs, or chalk to remove grime from their teeth. Thus, we have the choice to replace plastic with bamboo where possible and practical. Contrasts between bamboo and plastic include: Weight: While plastic and bamboo both feature minimal weights, plastic's properties are synthetic. So, they are more sustainable than plastic straws in these ways. We have taken our planet for granted, dumping waste carelessly and now we are waking up to the impacts. 99% of all the toothbrushes in the world are made from plastic. Diego Dierick, Dirk Hölscher, Luitgard Schwendenmann. Reusable bamboo coffee mugs were a keen favourite for a while, but in many cases they simply don’t last as long as their plastic counterparts, especially if someone accidentally sits on them! Ordering who gives a crap now! Third, less plastic waste. All reasons for plastic’s popularity. These 3 main reasons come with a lot more, even not so eco-friendly facts, if you take a closer look. And plastic has had a dramatic impact on our lives. Of course, this oil comes from drilling and refining both of which inevitably cause more harm to the environment than growing a field of Bamboo. Molded Bamboo is melamine free, plastic free, BPA free, & a sustainable alternative to chemical and plastic based utensils. Bamboo toothbrushes can replace plastic toothbrushes. Many examples throughout history demonstrate Bamboo’s versatility and various benefits. How To Reduce Plastic Waste In The Office? Large quantities can be found in many countries across Asia, Africa, South America and the USA. Not long ago I finally decided to switch to a bamboo brush. Unlike other products, it does not have to go through significant changes in order to become usable. Plastic toilet seat cleaning. And then we can then work to clean up our beaches and oceans without adding to the plastic pollution we’ve already caused. Bamboo vs. For decades it was a material we took for granted. While bamboo stays straight and true, plastic cutting boards tend to warp when exposed to moderate heat. It is also a material that can offer many of the same properties as plastic. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by TRVST. Apart from, the blenders and blushers are made of bamboo stalk instead of plastic which is likely to less durable and harmful. Some now consider bamboo to be the green gold that we have been looking for. Many species of Bamboo grown in the right conditions can reach maturity in a couple of months. Bamboo's inner cylinders, on the other hand, are mainly hollow with intermittent nodes. Plastic boards are easily damaged by cutting, which gives microbes their best chance to grow. There is also little need to use pesticides or fertilizers because Bamboo has natural antifungal and antibacterial properties. Although bamboo boards can serve their purpose and are better than plastic or glass boards, we’d have to go with the safest option, and that’s choosing hardwood. The problem with plastic toothbrushes; The advantages of bamboo toothbrushes The plastic problem. When we look around our homes, there is plastic everywhere. PLASTIC VS. BAMBOO December 23, 2017. There are many alternatives to plastic – and bamboo is one of them. Every year, people use billions of plastic straws. Due to the sustainable and renewable attributes of bamboo, it is becoming an increasingly popular resource for the creation of products. Especially in its natural form for everything from bowls through to cutlery. Reducing our reliance on petroleum-based synthetics often blended with cotton which typically requires more water and energy than Bamboo to provide the end fibres used in our clothes. A bamboo toothbrush has a long handle and bristles to remove food debris and plaque from your teeth. We believe that our organic and biodegradable products can directly reduce the amount of plastic ending up in a landfill, river, and ocean that kills our planet. And that has to be good news. Plastic is cheap, versatile and valuable resource in many ways. Bamboo Versus Plastic… Is Bamboo Really More Eco-Friendly? Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. There have been cases of bamboo cutting boards becoming more receptive for bacteria after years of use, and that’s something that won’t happen with hardwood boards. Reducing and reusing is also key. Bamboo has been used for centuries and for good reason. 50% of plastic is just used once and thrown away. Thus, there’s little argument that we must make changes to help mitigate the pollution of our planet and Oceans with disposable single-use plastic. Once the bristles show signs of flattening or fraying, you know it’s time to swap your brush for a new one. The wood toilet seat is not protected from scratches, and its durability cannot be compared to its plastic counterpart. It is everywhere. Bamboo makes for an excellent alternative to disposable plastic plates and cutlery. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade and is the leading cause of mass pollution all over the world. While this sounds promising, a chemical process is required to extract fibres from Bamboo for use in items such as clothing and textiles8. The critical difference is that the long handle is made from more sustainable bamboo instead of plastic. One plastic utensil swapped for bamboo options can create a dent to over 200 million tons of plastic waste the world generates each year. All the same, we can now witness Bamboo becoming a more accessible option as companies search for opportunities to provide more eco-friendly alternatives a growing number of consumers now demand. From its ubiquity and many valued uses through to the resulting mass of the stuff now floating in the world’s Oceans, we have lived through many years full of plastic. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass. We can even use Bamboo straws instead of plastic straws. This effectively damages the natural food chain1. This will stop mould from developing. We can’t change our consumption based economy, but we can certainly change the resources we use and the way we manufacture our products! When harvesting is taking place, bamboo is chosen carefully for maturation, size, and markings. Bamboo vs. plastic products. PVC requires oil, and industrial production, and pollution. On the up-side, it is sustainable, does not take an age to decompose and can be grown on a large scale. For example, switching to a bamboo toothbrush helps to lessen the reliance on a plastic product that is used multiple times a day and replaced multiple times a year. 2020 Recycle Track Systems, Inc. Because no oil is extracted to make the material for the handle of the bamboo toothbrush, they have a lower carbon footprint as well. We use over one million plastic bags each minute and studies suggest as little as 9 per cent of the plastic we use is recycled or reused11. We are aware that plastic has become a staple in our society. The bamboo toothbrush has exploded in popularity around the world because of its biodegradability. Many people believe that plastic is the most sanitary cutting board material, especially since, unlike wood or bamboo, it’s safe to run through your dishwasher. I was previously ordering seventh generation through Grove Collaborative but because I live alone and don’t need 48 rolls of toilet paper, I ended up buying the 12 pack, which came in plastic and I felt awfully guilty about it. We’ll have to wait and see. It is also impossible to avoid it as it is almost everywhere. It certainly doesn’t look that way. Our throw-away approach to plastic is causing us huge problems. WPC is an environmentally friendly wood and plastic mix (or composite) which contains premium wood flour along with recycled plastic. Having to replace an item more frequently, especially when air transport is a factor, definitely decreases the overall sustainability rating. Garden furniture is one use, but anything in your garden can be bamboo-based – fencing, gardening poles, planters, gates, trellises and more. What’s more, we can use it, plant more and help to reduce carbon emissions at the same time as bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than the equivalent volume of trees. However, in more recent times, the mass production of plastic has somewhat sidelined Bamboo’s potential role in our modern lives. As a result, almost 700 species in the ocean are affected by plastic7. Since bamboo is a type of grass, you can think of it like mowing the lawn – even as you cut it, it continually regrows. However, are the problems less significant than the problems caused by Plastic? When bamboo is harvested, it is typically cut, leaving the extensive root system intact. Will Bamboo continue to grow in popularity and deliver its green gold promises? As for the effect, boards have on knives, studies have found that hardwoods, as well as plastic, protect the sharpness knives. Bamboo is actually a very versatile and fast-growing grass. This usually takes between 2-3 months depending on how you brush. Some products that have been created that help reduce the reliance on unsustainable resources are water bottles made from bamboo, single-use bamboo utensils, bamboo toothbrushes, and even bamboo toilet paper. The Plastic VS Bamboo Toothbrush Debate. So why should we use bamboo instead of plastic? Can bamboo really compete with and replace some of our plastic consumption5? However, it has created a disposable lifestyle. If the bamboo versus plastic argument is going to carry some serious weight in favour of bamboo then we should look at the reasons why we can use it as a replacement. A bamboo toothbrush is more eco-friendly than plastic toothbrushes in many ways. terms + conditions | privacy policy. Although bamboo itself is a highly sustainable crop and can be used to make more sustainable products compared to their alternatives, bamboo fabrics may not be the most sustainable fashion solution. Bamboo vs Plastic; or why you should buy bamboo products to have a sustainable and ecofriendly life. plastic can take thousands of years to decompose, This effectively damages the natural food chain, almost 700 species in the ocean are affected by plastic, Marine life is suffering from our lack of care and ignorance, Can bamboo really compete with and replace some of our plastic consumption, growing Bamboo typically uses less water than trees, Bamboo is also fully biodegradable and compostable, studies suggest as little as 9 per cent of the plastic we use is recycled or reused, Bamboo grows in natural environments and is not susceptible to lengthy and polluting production processes like plastic, to extract fibres from Bamboo for use in items such as clothing and textiles, Biodegradable and compostable alternatives will inevitably come from several sources, happens to those microplastics when they enter the food chain. Bamboo is widely available. You can make a difference by using a bamboo straw instead, which is completely natural and much less damaging to the planet. Of course, we also need to create chemicals in the first place. It’s fast-growing, cheap to produce, ubiquitous and versatile. Bamboo grows and can be easily replaced by fast growing replacement bamboo shoots. Swaps are part of the solution. We also have to take into consideration the manufacturing process involved in making plastic and the impact it has on the environment. Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean. Alternatively, bamboo toothbrush handles take around six months to fully compost. However, a University of Michigan study found that “more bacteria are recovered from a used plastic surface than from a … Generally, products made from bamboo are considered eco-friendly and more sustainable than the alternatives, as long as they have not been chemically processed. Therefore, it is a renewable resource, while plastic is made from oil. For the majority of bamboo toothbrushes, when it is time to switch to a new one, the handle can be composted while the bristles must go in the trash. As such, in our fight against plastic waste, we should consider the qualities of bamboo and check how well those eco-friendly claims stack up. Therefore, as it is harvested, it can be replanted and grown again. Home / Inspiration / Bamboo Versus Plastic… Is Bamboo Really More Eco-Friendly? Where to use bamboo utensils Bamboo utensils are very versatile options. If we can make scale up the environmentally friendly manufacture and subsequent use of bamboo, we can help to make a dent in the damage caused by plastic. Metric tons of the bamboo vs plastic ; or why you should buy bamboo to... Bowls through to cutlery been looking for alternatives to plastic – is bamboo an eco-friendly?... You brush which helps to soften and radiate skin people use billions of plastic and pollution products quickly! 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