Paper towels made of bamboo: A truly sustainable alternative?

Sustainable paper towels: Myth or fact?

We have long held the belief that toilet rolls and paper towels are environmentally friendly, since they come from sustainable forests and are biodegradable. However, this is much far from the truth. We are consuming toilet rolls and paper towels at a faster rate than we are producing. Furthermore, the process of turning trees into paper towels is not sustainable at all, as it requires 110 million trees and 130 billion gallons of water to produce 13 billion pounds of paper towels used every year, just in the United States alone. Factor in the comparably vast amount of energy required to manufacture and deliver these paper towels, there are also plenty of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

Why bamboo?

Bamboo paper is a viable alternative to normal paper for a whole host of reasons. For one, bamboo grows much faster compared to timber trees. Bamboo is a classified as a grass plant. It requires virtually no chemicals and much less water to harvest bamboo. The fast growth rate means that bamboo is commercially viable to harvest and replace in smaller areas, so the need to destroy ecosystems is nonexistent. In its characteristic, bamboo is naturally strong and soft, requiring no additional chemicals to give it those traits. When bamboo decomposes, it does not release any toxins or greenhouse gases as it remains in its natural state. And finally, bamboo re-grows itself as soon as it’s cut, meaning no replanting is required.

What is Bamboovision doing in this field?

Knowing full well of these benefits, we at Bamboovision has taken upon ourselves to add bamboo paper towels to our catalogue. With these new towels, we are doing our part to promote good hygiene and an environmentally aware lifestyle at the same time.

References:

Naixun, M., Wenyang, Z (2012) “The Perspective on Bamboo Paper-making”, Forest Research, http://www.lykxyj.com/en/article/id/19950316.

L. Szabó et al (2009) “A world model of the pulp and paper industry: Demand, energy consumption and emission scenarios to 2030”, Environment Science & Policy, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901109000227