Bamboo, part 2

Bamboo is a very sustainable plant. It’s super fast growing.

I wrote recently about bamboo toilet paper, and I did end up getting two packages from a company called Brandless.

The verdict = overall fail:

1. The toilet paper was made in China. Shipping wood-based toilet paper from Arkansas has got to have a smaller environmental impact than shipping bamboo-based toilet paper from China.
2. Shipping two packages to my door via UPS has a worse impact on the environment than adding some to my shopping cart at my local supermarket during the weekly grocery run. And I couldn’t find bamboo paper at any local stores.
3. The paper is a little rough compared to the economy Kroger brand we normally buy.

Having said all that, I believe in Brandless. They are trying to be more organic and sustainable about most of the products they sell. And some of their prices aren’t bad. But I won’t be a frequent flyer, as shipping costs raise the costs to more than we normally spend.

Being good does have its costs. Sometimes I’m willing to pay the price and other times not.