When it comes to eco-friendly products, bamboo, and in particularly bamboo toilet paper, are becoming increasingly popular. But what is bamboo, and what’s so good about it? While bamboo has been around for thousands of years, it’s only in the last decade or so that it’s become a high commodity in the west.

Bamboo is hugely versatile and can be used to produce a wide range of products, including bamboo toilet paper, bamboo clothing, bamboo toothbrushes, and homewares including bamboo towels, bamboo plate ware and even bamboo utensils. Here are a few reasons why bamboo is great.

Bamboo is highly sustainable

Bamboo is a highly sustainable plant. Bamboo can grow to its full size in just a few months, compared to trees which can take decades to grow. In the right conditions, bamboo can grow a few feet in just one day, so you can literally watch it grow. Bamboo is an amazingly sustainable alternative to trees due to its naturally renewing properties.

Bamboo is cheap and better for our ecosystems

Bamboo’s fast growth rates means that it is more commercially viable to harvest and replace in a smaller area, so there is no need to destroy ecosystems in order to grow it. Bamboo is also able to thrive in soils that are depleted of nutrients, enriching them in the process. It can also be treated like a farm crop without the need for fertilising or heavy watering. It simply regrows quickly after being cut, much like grass does. Trees, on the other hand, do not re-grow, they have to be replanted each time they are felled.

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Bamboo is clean, safe and harvested without chemicals

Nasty pesticides and chemicals aren't required when harvesting bamboo. This means the cultivation is natural, and less harmful to the environment. Bamboo fibres are also naturally anti-bacterial, thanks to a substance called ‘bamboo kun’. Bamboo kun is found in bamboo fibre and is an antimicrobial bio-agent which gives bamboo its natural antibacterial properties. This prevents bacteria and microbes growing on bamboo products so it’s perfect for products such as bamboo toilet paper, towels and cutlery, keeping them sterile and fresh.

Bamboo is soft, strong and durable

Due to its ability to make products that are incredibly soft, while at the same time super strong, bamboo is the material of choice for a range of products. It’s even been dubbed ‘the green steel’ for its versatility and strength. Bamboo is also so soft that it’s used to make luxury items such bamboo sheets, robes, and toilet paper.

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Bamboo is great for the environment

Bamboo grows incredibly densely, meaning that less land is used to grow it compared with hard wood trees. Bamboo is also less harmful to soil. In terms of raw material, you can get plenty more bamboo from a square kilometre than you can hard wood, making it a much better choice for the environment. Bamboo needs far less water than trees in order to grow. In fact, it’s estimated that bamboo uses thirty per cent less water than hardwood trees. Bamboo forests also have enormous positive benefits for the environment as this incredibly productive plant efficiently stores carbon. Bamboo absorbs twice as much carbon dioxide than trees, which is why they are known to act as carbon sinks. It also generates a vast amount of oxygen, up to 30 per cent more than most plants and trees.

Bamboo is better for animals

Bamboo helps protect biodiversity and endangered species by creating homes for a variety of different animals. Also, the species of bamboo used for making products are not consumed by pandas, so when you use bamboo products, you know you’re not furthering the endangerment of this beautiful species.

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At Pure Planet Club we only stock plastic-free products. You can purchase a box of 36 rolls of our tree-free bamboo toilet paper as one-off option, or you can also set up a handy subscription so your environmentally friendly eco toilet paper is delivered directly to your doorstep – plus you’ll get 10% off each carton. Just set and forget, all from the comfort of your home. We are always adding new products to our range too so watch this space and sign up for our newsletter to be first in the know.