With more and more people opting for the healthy, eco-friendly alternatives, bamboo is becoming increasingly more popular by the minute. You can buy just about anything bamboo these days, from bamboo furnishing to bamboo clothing, and even bamboo dinnerware. What’s all the bamboo hype about, and is it really as eco-friendly as it is made out to be?

First some quick bamboo facts:

• Bamboo plants grow up to 4 feet per day, making them one of the fastest growing plants on the planet.
• It takes between 3 and 5 years for a bamboo pole to regenerate, whilst it takes other trees a minimum of 30 years to regenerate.
• It produces more oxygen than the equal number of trees.
• Bamboo doesn’t need any pesticides to help it grow.
• It is 100% biodegradable.

Now, as for the eco-friendly hype, it all boils down to what products you are talking about. As for clothing, the process that the bamboo has to go through to be made into fabric is quite ‘ungreen’ to say the least. ...continue reading

Think plastic and elegance cannot go hand-in-hand? Plastic dinnerware can be much more practical than regular china or glassware, since you save on money, as well as avoid having to worry about breakage and losing the real stuff. Plastic dinnerware is a must during the spring/summer picnic/barbequing months.

Most plastic dinnerware is manufactured from one of the following materials: melamine, polycarbonate, SAN, or good ol’ plastic. Can’t make your mind up on which material to go with? The following information will give you a better understanding of the difference between each material and help you decide.

Melamine resin is an organic compound often used in kitchen utensils and dinnerware. It should be handled like any fine quality dinnerware. Although better than plastic, when melamine is exposed to high heat, the heat will cause it to decompose. Therefore, it is not safe to place melamine products in either ovens or microwaves since they take in the microwave radiation and heat up. However, they can be places in a dishwasher. Melamine is a thermoset plastic. Therefore, it cannot be melted down and, as a result, cannot be recycled through melting. ...continue reading

Featuring simply-defined colors, this Restaurant White collection is stackable and extra tough. ...continue reading