If you are not using bamboo paper towels, napkins etc pleas start! It is not that expensive

[Maraya1969]

I have no vested interest in this company. I have bought the tissues before and you cannot tell any difference between them and regular wood tissue paper. I also use bamboo paper towels and 100% recycled TP.




https://www.amazon.com/Caboo-Bamboo-Friendly-Hypoallergenic-Tissues/dp/B074G1G198/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1DJH81TNN3ITZ&keywords=eco%2Bfriendly%2Btissues&qid=1674511253&sprefix=eco%2Bfriendly%2Btissues%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-6&th=1


So PLANT A TREE and use bamboo for the other stuff!!! We can do this!

[Disaffected]

1. An interesting alternative but,

what is the environmental impact of growing bamboo? For instance, do they clear-cut forests to grow the stuff?

[Maraya1969]

3. I can tell you that you can grow bamboo in the corner of your yard and it will grow

like a weed. I think the fact that it grows so fast is pertinent in its ecofriendly label.

I guess more can be found out but I am just glad no one has to cut down any trees for my paper products anymore.

[Ms. Toad]

19. It's an invasive species - so outside of its natural enviorment,

It is like Kudzu, Cane Toads, or Lionfish.

This is particularly true because of how easily it spreads - and how hard it is to get rid of.

[Hekate]

22. I regret to say that my gardening book told me decades ago to only grow bamboo in pots...

It makes a bad neighbor because of its invasive ways.

Possibly retrofitted US paper mills could buy the raw harvested stalks from countries where bamboo is native and process it here. Or, as with so much else these days, we buy the finished product from an infinitely-long supply chain.

[Phoenix61]

24. There are two types of bamboo. Clumping and running.

Clumping is fine to grow anywhere. It doesn’t spread anymore than any other type of clumping grass. Running bamboo will send out runners 20ft away from the main stalk.

[llmart]

23. As an Advanced Master Gardener...

please don't recommend people grow bamboo.

[Maraya1969]

5. Here is another link to how China is using bamboo to combat climate change

https://chinadialogue.net/en/climate/fighting-climate-change-with-bamboo/

Fast-growing, versatile and able to thrive on sloping, degraded soils, giant bamboos have long been considered a valuable source of income – sometimes called “poor man’s timber” – as well as an important tool for stabilising slopes and preventing soil erosion.

More recently, bamboo has gained attention alongside tree-planting for its potential role in removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which would contribute to keeping global warming below 1.5C.

A fast-growing super grass
Bamboo can help China curb greenhouse gas emissions in two ways: through its forests, which act as giant carbon sinks, and its durable products, which store carbon and can serve as a replacement for timber, concrete and steel.

The secret to bamboo’s success is that it’s a grass not a tree. It grows fast and accumulates carbon quickly, with an extensive root system that survives annual harvesting. This makes bamboo a fast-regenerating resource, which can supply more biomass than both natural and planted forests. Once mature, bamboo poles can be selectively harvested every year, and used to make a wide range of durable products, which lock in carbon for the duration of a product’s lifespan. This high yield makes bamboo a surprisingly effective carbon sink and important nature-based approach to mitigating global warming. One study estimates that a one-hectare plantation of bamboo and its products could store 306 tonnes of carbon over a 60-year period compared with 178 tonnes for Chinese fir trees.


Carbon accumulation: managed moso bamboo versus Chinese fir.

[GenXer47]

11. excellent point

Reed players (clarinets, sax, oboe) were told for years that the bamboo used to make the reeds only grew in a select area of France. The truth is, they kept it quarantined there so it wouldn't take over - it's considered an invasive species.
You don't get somethin for nothin, was my Dad's way to explain conservation of energy. A fast-growing species like this completely depletes the soil in no time. So, there is a trade off.
It's perfect for crappy little uninhabited islands, though, and I do like the stuff for flooring, pillows, pretty much anything. But you have to be careful where you introduce it.

[summer_in_TX]

14. Definitely an invasive species and VERY hard to

eradicate.

I'd like to see more research on its use and impact on soil before deciding. It sounds like a promising possibility, but one that comes with potential risks.

[Dave says]

20. I have a bamboo grove in my backyard

I can attest to its fast growth and the near impossibility, for me, to eradicate it. It does make for a nice privacy screen for my porch, which is probably why the previous owner planted it. But it’s spread into a neighbor’s yard where it’s not wanted. Not sure what to do.

Many of the trees are 15 feet tall, although their trunks are only an inch in diameter.

[sl8]

16. According to these folks, check to see if it's FSC certified:

I don't know much about it, but maybe a place to start.

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jennifer-skene/hemp-bidets-bamboo-issue-tissue-faqs-answered

I use tissue products made from bamboo. Is that ok?

Bamboo-based products can be sustainable alternatives to those using virgin wood pulp, though they’re not quite as low-impact as post-consumer recycled products or alternative fibers from agricultural residue. When you buy products made from bamboo, you need to make sure the bamboo is sustainably sourced (read: FSC-certified); otherwise it could have come from areas that were deforested for the express purpose of growing bamboo.

[leftieNanner]

2. Great Post!

I only purchase 100% recycled TP and paper towels.

Nice to know that bamboo is another good alternative.

The fact that companies are chopping down forests to make toilet paper is unconscionable.

[2naSalit]

4. BAMBOO TOILET PAPER...

Does NOT break down on it's way to the sewage system!! It collects and eventually backs up whole buildings! Happened at my friend's apartment, which was flooded, when they finally dug out the clog, it was bamboo toilet paper.

[Maraya1969]

8. According to Google bamboo does not block drains.

Are you sure they didn't use an enormous amount? Because so far all I see it that it is very biodegradable. And have used it for about 2 years now with no problem.

Actually it would be good to find out the manufacturer. Perhaps it wasn't 100% bamboo?

[2naSalit]

10. I didn't inquire beyond the report by the friend and plumber...

It clogged way past the building's system. He lives in a rather progressive area where people do their best to mitigate their footprint. I only know about it because his recording studio was affected and I had to reschedule an appointment. When I did get over there a week later, they still had dryer fans in the halls and basement, after the cleaning. At least the studio wasn't gross.

Bamboo is unusual and I have found it to be a pretty long lasting fiber, I do't know what happens during processing but it was a problem for an entire apartment building a couple months ago.

[FreeState]

25. Likely miss-diagnosed

https://reelpaper.com/blogs/reel-talk/bamboo-toilet-paper-crash-course

Does Bamboo Toilet Paper Break Down?
Many eco-conscious consumers are curious about how well bamboo toilet paper actually breaks down. They are, understandably, not only conscious of toilet paper’s effect on the environment but also its effect on their plumbing.

Bamboo Toilet Paper in the Pipes
Oftentimes, we flush items – like paper towels, wipes, and small toys – down the toilet that simply don’t break up, thereby clogging toilets and backing up lines. Clogged pipes can affect all of the plumbing in the house, which is especially problematic if you have a septic tank.

Unfortunately, toilet paper can clog pipes, as well. Using bath tissue that’s too thick, or simply using too much, can easily cause a headache-inducing clog. To avoid the extra plumbing costs, many people will opt for low-quality one-ply toilet paper. But before reaching for what feels like dollar store sandpaper, consider a less painful alternative.

Is bamboo toilet paper septic safe? Yes! Bamboo toilet paper makes using the bathroom both comfortable and easy on the septic tank. In addition to being strong (and soft) enough for use, bamboo toilet tissue also effortlessly breaks down in water. This means that water will freely flow through your pipes without clumps of toilet paper backing them up, making it septic safe toilet paper. It’s no wonder that some plumbers think bamboo toilet paper is one of the best toilet papers for plumbing.

[sl8]

26. That's from a company that sells the product.

It might very well be fine for septic, but I wouldn't take the word of a company that sells it.

[2naSalit]

29. +1

I wonder how extensive their R&D was on that.

[keithbvadu2]

6. and hemp?

[Bettie]

7. I haven't tried paper products

but I recently bought some bamboo fabric socks. They are SO soft and they don't pill over multiple washes.

So, I'll give the paper products a shot.

[SheltieLover]

9. Walgreens used to sell bamboo toilet paper, then stopped! 🤬

I loved it & it was super cheap!

Where do you find them?

[Sogo]

12. Would have to research their manufacturing processes.

I have extremely sensitive skin, and can only use certain paper products that don't use chlorine and formaldehyde (!) in their processing.

[jimfields33]

13. Does Bounty do bamboo? That's the only paper towel I use. It has the half sheets which I love.

[Maraya1969]

27. A lot of them have 1/2 sheets now

[miss-nasty]

15. Double the price on Walmart app

I like to help anyway I can. That said I had someone else tell me this and when I costed them out it didn’t work for someone living in a fixed income. I found that “Bamtime” is $1.25 a roll and “Angel Soft” is $0.65 a roll.

[Kaleva]

17. Bamboo will not prevent climate change. At best it can only help to mitigate it

And that's assuming large swaths of land are planted with bamboo. The 30 million or so hectares planted in bamboo today will have to be increased to over 300 million hectares. An area over 4 times the size of Texas.



https://drawdown.org/solutions/bamboo-production

[Torchlight]

18. Another good tool in the toolbox.

There are multiple, convenient methods of reducing our footprint, but to do so, we have to get past the "Well, I know I'll make it after the apocalypse 'cause of my basement is full of beans and guns. I don't know (care) about my neighbors though, those poor saps are on their own" to get real traction done on a collective scale.

[Meadowoak]

21. Or better yet, use a bidet.

[Maraya1969]

28. I do that too and I've told people here several times. It's just that drying is a problem sometimes

[Meadowoak]

32. Mine has a blow dryer function, works perfectly.

[2naSalit]

30. I wonder if those...

Would increase the water bill in a place like San Diego.

[Meadowoak]

31. No, it probably uses about a pint of water.

Or at least that's all mine uses.

[Meowmee]

33. Too expensive for me and for many others

Also I don’t think bamboo is a better alternative, it’s an invasive plant which has its own issues. I like it for clothes and sheets though.

Even regular paper towel and tissue is too costly now so we have cut back to use less. I use towels/ dish rags etc. for a lot of things now and wash them.

At costco a 10 pack 230 facial tissues per cube is $20-24.99 depending on sales. Their version is $17.99 for 360 tissues total, it’s a lot more expensive.

[SouthernDem4ever]

34. I use Bamboo coffee filters

they work great. Of course, you don't flush em.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

35. Well, I have bamboo cutting boards and socks, but that was far as I've got, lol

[Polybius]

36. How does it feel on your tush?

Seriously though, does it feel like normal tp, paper towels, and napkins?