brush with bamboo - drink with bamboo

Yes, we start to be part of a movement

During my October visit to Phillip Island - Australia, I stayed in the house of the Innes family.
Very special friends, and most of all the son, Youki. (see a photo of him on my PARTNERS page)
Youki has Cerebral Palsy and is using straws to drink from cups / glasses.
One day we were talking together about his future and he mentioned that he wanted to start a
​web-shop in products and handy gadgets for people with a handicap, and of course Youki could be
the best person to sell them, as someone with personal experiences with Cerebral Palsy and all the
problems, issues, difficulties and challenges it brings!!!
We also talked about the plastic straws he is using and decided that it should be possible to replace
the one-time-use-disposable straws, which you will find everywhere in the trash, many times also
on beaches and in oceans. 
And so we talked about wooden or bamboo straws.

Of course we did not expect to be the inventor of the product, but I decided to look into it and
found several bamboo straws offered on the internet. I have been spending time to read about
them in blogs, tests and reviews of buyers and there are really not many good ones on the market.
But I found some with the company BRUSH WITH BAMBOO.
And I placed a test order with them, as a regular client. Just to see if I would like them.
At the same time I decided to write to the company and ask if I could place a reseller-order
instead of a regular client order and they said "yes". 
So we changed my retail order into a wholesale order and I decided to order also the Bamboo
toothbrushes as a try-out.
I have been reading more and more about bamboo, bamboo from China / India, the different
product offers on internet, the cheap Chinese ones and the more expensive but still affordable
high quality ones.

BRUSH WITH BAMBOO came out as the best in many tests and blogs and as one of the most
reliable in giving honest statements about products, manufacturing, etc.
So this is "how it started". Now more about the products and the company.​

"BRUSH WITH BAMBOO" TOOTHBRUSH

The source for the following information is the web-site of BRUSH WITH BAMBOO. For a lot more
information and details I refer directly to their site:  Brush with Bamboo 

(Copied from the website)
1 - BIODEGRADABLE HANDLE
We’ve created a high quality easy-to-grip curved handle made entirely out of bamboo. Only organic,
wild, giant Chinese Moso Bamboo is used for our bamboo toothbrush handles.
No pesticides or fertilizers are ever used on our bamboo – in fact, because it is wild mountain bamboo,
doing so would be completely impossible. Likewise, our bamboo is never watered by us — only
natural mountain rain. At present we are harvesting less than 1% of the possible bamboo resources
available in the sprawling Chinese bamboo mountain range where our bamboo is harvested.
Less plastic, more bamboo!

2 - PLANT BASED BRISTLES
This special SOFT bristle is composed of 62% Castor Bean Oil, 38% plastic. This is the latest
and most advanced biobased bristle in the world today. It’s biobased, but still not biodegradable.
You may have seen Dasani brand plastic water bottles made form 30% plants – our bristle is a
similar concept. Prior to the invention of nylon in the 1930s, pig hair was used for toothbrush bristles
worldwide. Today, pig hair remains the only biodegradable option – and it is a very controversial
material. We hope you’ll support our brand as we “vote” with our supply chain. We’re pushing 
bristle manufacturers to develop better alternatives to nylon. This new bristle that we are now using
is the best available option. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Our bristles can be recycled – please read further details in the Proper Disposal Section of the website.

3 - COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING
We wanted our whole product to be ecological, including the packaging. The toothbrush comes
in a compostable wrapper made from plants (Learn more about the wrapper in the FAQ link at the
bottom left of our web page). The outer box is made from 100% paper and is also biodegradable –
no tape or glue is used.

4 - SAME LIFESPAN AS CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSH
Our ecological bamboo toothbrush will last just as long as a conventional plastic toothbrush.
Please see details on the Proper Care page of the website.

5 - TRUE SUSTAINABILITY
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. Because it contains naturally-occurring antimicrobial
agents, there is no need for using fertilizers or pesticides during its cultivation. Our bamboo
is totally organic and wild. After we harvest a bamboo stalk to use it for toothbrushes, another
stalk takes its place and grows to full size within just 2 years — a remarkable growth rate!


​"Brush with Bamboo is the world’s first plant-based toothbrush. Every component of our product is
plant-based: bristles, handle, wrapper, and box.

Brush with Bamboo is a USDA Certified Biobased Product by United States Government’s
Biopreferred Program. A purchase of our toothbrush is a vote for biobased products that are not
fossil fuel-based!

Our product is BPA-Free, Vegan, and Verified Non-toxic."

"BRUSH WITH BAMBOO" DRINKING STRAWS

"Our bamboo drinking straws are grown organically and artisan-made in Northeast India exclusively
for Brush with Bamboo. Bamboo straws are traditionally used in this hilly part of India to consume beer.
You will notice the difference between our fine hand-made straws and other lower-priced machine-
made brands of straws. Our artisans are treated like family and paid fair wages.
1 billion plastic, petroleum-based, non-biodegradable straws are used everyday worldwide. Our bamboo
drinking straws are a fun and eco-friendly alternative to plastic that can be used with any beverage.
The straws are made from real whole bamboo stalks – nothing re-compressed or processed. They are
washable and reusable. Use a jar of warm water with soap to shake them clean, or clean with a
pipe cleaner. A purchase of bamboo straws is a vote for sustainable materials. Each straw is 10 inches
in length. The straws can last for years and years when properly cared for"

Sun Sand Salt will sell the straws in sets of two or four together with a small straw cleaning brush. We are also
working on a small pouch made of handcrafted fabric in which you can carry your personal straw with you.