Too few of us stop to consider the environmental actions of seemingly small decisions we make throughout the day. For instance, hundreds of millions of plastic straws and billions of plastic forks, spoons, and knives end up in landfills every year, according to research conducted by Habits of Waste, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing our consumption of single-use plastic.
Thankfully, the world is beginning to wake up to these realities, and companies have been created with the express purpose of making eco-friendly versions of products we rely on every day. One way for companies to achieve this goal is by using sustainable materials like bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly, doesn’t require pesticides or fertilizers, and is stronger than steel in some instances. If you’re attempting to make your home more environmentally friendly, the bamboo gear below is a great place to start.
Hamana Bamboo Frame for Plant Grow Tray
Key Selling Point: A sustainable planter for your personal garden.
Maintaining an indoor garden is a great way to relieve stress, and even save money if you choose to plant herbs or small vegetables. Hamana’s Bamboo Frame is a sustainably made base that can hold your plants and soil. This eco-friendly habitat is long enough to hold a mini row of herbs, and comes in three colors: natural, white, and walnut. Hamana also offers an inner tray, grow kits, and other accessories to help you get started on your indoor garden.
Best Choice Products Bamboo Memory-Foam Mattress
Key Selling Point: This sustainably made mattress has all the same performance characteristics as more wasteful options.
Oftentimes, you’re faced with the choice of prioritizing sustainability or performance, Best Choice Products’ mattress proves this isn’t always the case. Its 12-inch thick mattress is made from a mix of bamboo charcoal, which is naturally moisture wicking, gel-infused memory foam, and an anti-odor green tea layer. This combination of materials makes the mattress a great choice for sleepers who run hot, or live in warm climates. Best Choice Products includes a non-slip mattress cover, too.
Girlfriend Collective Bamboo Hoodie
Key Selling Point: This hoodie is available in 12 sizes, six colors, and is made from 100 percent recycled cotton.
Girlfriend Collective went hard when pushing the bounds of sustainably made clothing in introducing its bamboo hoodie. The machine-washable hoodie is 100 percent biodegradable: it’s made from 50 percent reclaimed cotton and 50 percent organic cotton grown without pesticides. The company says that by using this material, it has conserved 371 gallons of water, prevented 1.12 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, and saved 1.99 kilowatts of energy. All these sustainability features are found in a fashionable hoodie designed to fit any body and any wardrobe.
PlantX Bamboo Charcoal Toothbrush
Key Selling Point: Both the toothbrush and box are 100 percent recyclable.
You’re probably going to replace your toothbrush a handful of times per year, so you might as well get one that won’t sit forever in a landfill. This one from PlantX has a bamboo base with charcoal-infused bristles, both of which are BPA-free. It may not have the same fancy features as an electric toothbrush, but you won’t have to worry about replacing batteries, mechanical failure over time, or consuming microplastics.
Final Thoughts
The future of the planet is largely dependent on multinational companies deciding to substantially change their business model and means of production, but that doesn’t mean individuals should abdicate their responsibilities. Switching to bamboo products may not save the world, but if tens of thousands of people change their buying habits, companies may change their tune. At the very least, you can know the decision you made helped support a company that’s doing the right thing.
This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.