Bamboo

Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on earth, making it one of the most sustainable as well. With some species growing up to 3 or 4 feet per day, it's highly renewable, hearty, and harvested with hardly any impact to the environment. Bamboo is also 100% biodegradable, able to be raised without pesticides, naturally anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic, breathable, and absorbent. Bamboo even releases significantly more oxygen than trees.

Able to thrive in nearly any moderate climate, bamboo is found on nearly every continent and has nearly 1000 different species – with its uses being almost as numerous. Bamboo is used in everything from food to fabrics to flooring, and has experienced a lot of popularity lately because of this versatility and eco-preferability. Eco-conscious designers are making entire clothing lines using bamboo fabric, and even more conventional brands blending bamboo with other fabrics to create soft, strong garments.

Although raising and harvesting bamboo (see in glossary) is much more eco-friendly than using trees, it's important to consider the treatment of bamboo as it evolves into furniture, flooring, or clothing. Make sure that the bamboo furniture or flooring you select has been finished with a low or no VOC varnish, and that no formaldehyde is present in the glues used to fuse bamboo sheets. As for bamboo fabrics, third-party certification organizations like Oeko-Tex can tell you if they were manufactured without harmful chemicals.