How Recycle Bamboo Products?

Answering the question of how to recycle bamboo products requires a basic understanding of bamboo itself. 

WHAT IS BAMBOO?

Bamboo is actually a grass. It often gets mistaken for a plant or tree, but it is part of the evergreen grass family.  Bamboo is unique as it is the largest grass and the only one that can diversify into a forest.  Once fully grown, some of the larger species can look like trees with a wood like trunk, but they grow much faster and are much more sustainable than hardwood trees. There are over 1500 different species of bamboo, which grow in subtropical regions including China, South America and Africa. Here are a few facts about this amazing grass:

1.It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet. Some species can even grow up to 90cm per day!

2.It has incredible tensile strength, which is why it is used for making many products

3.The amazing grass is a highly renewable resource. Once it has been harvested the root will continue to grow without the need for re-planting

4.Also, bamboo absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees and releases more oxygen. This makes it great for the environment

5.Finally, we know that pandas love to eat bamboo, but don’t worry, our flooring is made from a completely different species to the one that they eat!

COMPOSTING BAMBOO PRODUCTS

For products made from natural materials, composting can be viewed as the ultimate form of recycling. In the case of bamboo, which sprouts from the ground at rates that are unmatched in nature, returning this amazing plant through composting back to the soil from which it sprang is an ecological success story.

Among the most popular items made from bamboo today are toothbrushes and hairbrushes. And in contrast to the overwhelming majority of toothbrushes and hairbrushes that are made from plastics and wind up in landfills, bamboo versions are typically biodegradable and perfectly suited for composting. This process usually consists of these simple steps:

 1.Most bamboo toothbrushes and hairbrushes have non-natural bristles which cannot be composted and must therefore be removed (if they do have natural bristles, this step can be disregarded). Remove the bristles by using a pair of pliers to grab a small bunch of bristles at a time and pull them out with a twisting motion. You will find this process does the trick quite nicely.

2.The bristle-less toothbrush or hairbrush can now be safely placed in a composting bin where it will decompose with the other organic material. Breaking these items into smaller pieces can speed the process along.

RECYCLING BAMBOO PRODUCTS

While composting is the ideal outcome for bamboo products from an ecological perspective, not all goods made from bamboo are suitable for the composting bin. Certain bamboo items degrade relatively quickly, while others are best dealt with through alternative means.

So long as man-made components are removed beforehand, bamboo products can be placed in green waste bins provided that they are natural or organic. That said, it is always a good idea to consult with local recycling agencies or sanitation services before doing so to ensure compliance with local recycling practices or regulations.

CONCLUSION

With the growing demand for environmentally friendly products made from renewable and sustainable materials, bamboo has emerged as a promising resource. With its phenomenal growth rate and minimal cultivation requirements, bamboo's potential as a versatile raw material seems limitless. If recycling technologies continue to evolve and used bamboo products are converted to a greater extent into reusable resources, then like the towering bamboo forest itself, the sky is the limit.