Good for the Earth

Let’s lead by example to our future generations. Show our children the right path to preserve our planet.

The resources we have on Earth are finite. Plastics are amazing at doing some jobs, but as we have come to learn over the last 20 years, they are exceptionally bad for the environment. This is because they are man-made hydrocarbon-based products, so that means that there are no naturally occurring enzymes, bacteria, animals, or insects that can successfully break these products down into their original components. Thus, they will either be mechanically broken down in tiny particles (called microplastics); or be incinerated to produce greenhouse gases.

Microplastics wash into the water and are consumed by microplankton and algae, which small fish and marine coral/plant matter consume. This accumulates and then larger fish or humans will consume these which ultimately means that we end up eating plastic! Yuk! This recent research paper done here in Perth, Australia really highlights how widespread the issue is.

By burning plastics, a whole array of toxic and non-toxic gases are released into the atmosphere. Over time, these greenhouse gases cause the Earth’s temperature to rise and then we see icebergs melting, weather systems changing and life on Earth changes…

Are we too late to turn the tide? Maybe, maybe not. But let’s do everything we can to look after our children and generations to come to enjoy a beautiful green diverse planet- and not end up in a situation like in Wall-E:

What about the bristles on the Bamboo Buddy Toothbrushes?

At Bamboo Buddy, we want to be as sustainable as possible, so we have tried to ensure that almost all of our products can be either recycled, reused or can naturally compost. Even the tape we use on our packaging is made of biodegradable cellulose. The only bit of plastic we use is the nylon on the toothbrush bristles.

Unfortunately, no one has come close to producing a truly natural bristle that can provide the same level of plaque removal as a nylon bristle over the 3 months we would expect a toothbrush to last. Thus, these natural-fibre bristle brushes will need to be replaced more regularly than our Bamboo Buddy toothbrushes; and the energy consumption of production/shipping/purchasing will be higher over the course of say 12 months. So they may not be a more eco-friendly choice.

Other companies are using “Bioplastics”, surely, they are better for the environment?

Bioplastics are cheaper than Bamboo, but a huge con. Thankfully, Governments making anti-plastic policies (such as in South Australia) are onto this fact. Bioplastics, or PLA (Poly Lactic Acid)-based products may well be produced from corn-starch or plant-based products instead of crude oil; but they have the same degradation issues as any other plastic. This means they will take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down. The bamboo we use will compost in about 3-4 years! And bamboo plantations we use regrow within 5 years of harvesting!see here!

For our full article about Bamboo and its amazing-ness, see here!