It’s been a little while since we talked about bamboo here on the blog, and I think it’s time to change that. Bamboo, whilst not the best option for fabric, is a wonderful ethical alternative to plastic for solid items. It’s the fastest naturally renewing resource; growing quickly and easily in a wide variety of climates, and being so durable that it requires much less water than trees and no pesticides or chemicals at all. It also offsets pollution by producing more oxygen that many varieties of tree, it’s completely biodegradable and it’s inherently anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. When it comes to eco credentials, my love for bamboo comes in at a close second to the sustainable wonderchild that is hemp.

Whilst I think many of us in the zero waste game are used to seeing bamboo toothbrushes floating around the internet, I recently came across this portable bamboo utensil set online, and thought it would be good to share it in time for the holidays. As November quickly draws to a close the holiday party invites start to roll around, and it’s good to be prepared. Each party is different, which inevitably makes it harder to know when you’re going to stumble into a total plastic fest, surrounded by disposable plates, cups and cutlery. It can be tough, I will admit I have been that person who stands at the buffet table and grazes, looking slightly weird because I didn’t want to use a plastic plate. It’s not a cute look, so for parties nowadays I try to take along a sustainable, reusable container that I can pop my food into. Always be prepared is a mantra for a reason.

Alongside this, it’s great to carry a reusable cutlery set whenever you can. I have a stainless steel set from my teenage camping days, but they can be both quite bulky and heavy when it comes to being on the go day to day. This reusable bamboo set, containing a fork, spoon, knife and chopsticks, is sustainable, durable and a lot lighter than carrying silverware in your bag, whilst the carry case is made from recycled plastic water bottles. The cutlery itself is also dishwasher safe, BPA and Phthalate free and resistant to heat/stains. If you live in the US you can find this little set on EarthHero, an online site dedicated to selling sustainable options for everyday life, where it will be sent in recycled and recyclable packaging, or in the UK you can find similar versions at Not On The High Street.

When it comes to living zero waste, or just reducing waste in general, preparation is often the key ingredient. Keeping things like this cutlery set to hand help make sustainable living the norm, not the chore. By keeping ourselves equipped it takes barely any effort to choose the ethical alternative, providing both minimal inconvenience and zero guilt so you can focus on what’s really important at the party: the dance floor.

To check out other ways to keep the holidays ethical and eco-friendly, check out my posts from 2016 on eco-friendly wrapping and sustainable decorating, and watch out for Ethical Advent on December 1st!

Until next time, stay magic y’all.