Bamboo products are making waves as eco-friendly alternatives, but are they really that earth-friendly? Since we carry a bunch of bamboo baby products, we decided to find out.

Bamboo’s Environmental Benefits

Bamboo’s environmental benefits stem primarily from its amazing ability to grow and spread quickly without the need for fertilizers, pesticides or even very much water. A bamboo grove releases 35% more oxygen into the air than the same amount of trees, and it matures within 7 years (compared to 30-50 years for trees). In fact, bamboo is so fast-growing that it can yield 20 times more timber than trees, on an on-going basis. Because the use of bamboo as a building material saves more hardwood trees from logging, bamboo can actually help combat climate change!

Bamboo also has a widespread root system as well as an enveloping canopy, making it an excellent water barrier that will actually control and slow soil erosion. Bamboo is already being widely used in a number of developing countries to protect crops and villages from washing away. Bamboo’s high nitrogen also consumption helps to mitigate water pollution, and its roots are amazingly nourishing for the soil.

Bamboo grows best in tropical conditions and can actually provide economic sustenance to developing countries, improving stability for impoverished populations. As bamboo’s popularity increases and more products are made from it, it will offer a sustainable way of making a living in these areas—from a grass that grows like a weed.

Bamboo Product Benefits

Bamboo is softer than cotton with a texture more like silk or cashmere and it naturally draws moisture away from the skin. It also dries in about half the time as cotton, making it easy on your dryer—especially with how often you wash things when you have a wee one around. Look for these bamboo product swaps:

• Baby wipes
• Cutlery
• Bedding
• Bibs & burp cloths
• Swaddling blankets
• Sleep bags
• Nursing pads
• Cloth diapers

Do you buy bamboo?

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