We often hear people talk about sustainable alternatives… but how sustainable are these alternatives, really?
A product like bamboo toothbrush has a lot of uses and benefits, but is it sustainable?
The earliest invention of the first bristle toothbrush, similar to the modern toothbrush, was found in China during the Tang Dynasty. Materials used for this brush comprised hog hair for bristles and bamboo or bone for handles and at the time was a big technological advancement.
Why Bamboo?
- It’s 100% biodegradable
- Unlike wood, it harvests in three years (which is significantly faster than trees).
- Production of plastic produces CO2, whereas bamboo transforms CO2 into oxygen! (Photosynthesis)
Along with toothbrushes, we use soaps in our daily lives.
What are natural soaps? How are they different?
As we spoke about this in our blog “Zero Waste at Home”, many soaps have beeswax or contain chemicals like Parabens and SLS. Most commercial soaps use chemical preservatives to ensure lower manufacturing costs. Not only are these chemicals harmful for us, the waste harms the planet as well!
Natural handmade soaps use different ingredients compared to soaps that are churned out in bulk from a factory. Natural oils and nut-based butters are used to make the moisturizing base for the soaps.
Our handmade soaps have natural ingredients for the fragrances, unlike chemical based fragrances used in most commercial soaps. Our Neem soap uses natural neem which is extremely healthy for the skin or our Winter Spice soap has the enriching benefits of cinnamon and orange!
“Use a metal straw, they’re good for the planet”
Yes, not using plastic straws make the planet extremely happy, but how sustainable are metal straws?
We make our straws with stainless steel. Being 100% recyclable, stainless steel is a green product! It is not coated with any toxic material and is completely rust proof.
With the new technology available, the energy required to manufacture stainless steels has decreased drastically! Even if the straws end up in the landfill, stainless steel has no detrimental effect to the soil or groundwater.
It is important to question what we use in our personal lives. It is even more important to question things that revolve around sustainability. Stay tuned for more interesting articles!