The Cultured Girl

Bamboo cutting boards are sprouting up everywhere, prompting many cultured girls to wonder: What’s the advantage of using bamboo versus traditional wood? The cutting surfaces from companies like Totally Bamboo are undoubtedly cool-looking, but they’re also more durable—about 16 percent harder than maple, the wood most commonly used in cutting boards. The even bigger selling point, however, is that bamboo plants grow like weeds, so it’s a more eco-friendly option than wood. According to Totally Bamboo, the grass “grows to a harvestable height of 60 feet in about 3-5 years, growing as much as 2 feet per day.”

Plates and bowls made from bamboo, like these from Smith & Hawken, are also a great alternative to plastic and styrofoam dinnerware used at picnics and barbecues. Lighter than ceramic plates but just as reusable, the biodegradable products are also cheap enough to toss when they’ve seen too many summers.