Discover the Benefits of This Beautiful Material

This eco-alternative is used in many things you use every day.

Photo: CAROL YOUNG / UNDESIGNED

By Brian Clark Howard

This fast-growing grass makes a beautiful, eco-alternative material for many things you use every day. Companies like the Seattle-based Teragren make bamboo flooring by gluing together thin strips of bamboo with nontoxic adhesives. The result looks strikingly like hardwood and is quite durable. In fact, it's strong enough for furniture, such as the collection at Crate & Barrel.

If you'd rather wear your bamboo, California-based Bamboo Clothes is one-stop shopping for comfortable men's and women's undergarments, smart yoga pants and shawls for women, and tees for the whole family. And when you're ready to take them off, slip into silky sheets made from bamboo fibers available at Gaiam.

Bamboo is even useful for reusable bags:

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