Why You Should Stop Using Bamboo Tableware
You know them: those coffee cups and lunch boxes in cheerful colors, made of bamboo. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has banned bamboo tableware and cutlery. Why? It turns out they contain a toxic substance that causes health problems.
Bamboo tableware was promoted for years as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material is sustainable and biodegradable. But the NVWA decided to ban all bamboo tableware immediately because it contains formaldehyde, which could enter your body when you use the tableware. Too much of this substance causes stomach irritation and stomach ulcers, the NVWA writes in a report.
Cheerful drinking cup
Wait a minute: did you buy one of those fun bamboo lunch boxes for the children, with a cheerful matching drinking cup, only to find out that the stuff is simply toxic? Think you’re being environmentally friendly with your refillable coffee cup, only to risk a stomach ulcer? According to the NVWA, there is ‘no direct reason for concern’, NRC reports. The harmful effects of the formaldehyde stop immediately when you stop using the bamboo items, hence the ban. Look online and you’ll see that many items are made of bamboo. Not just coffee cups and lunch boxes, but also camping tableware and handy children’s cups. Time to check the kitchen cupboards!
Bad news
A German study had already shown in 2019 that bamboo tableware supplemented with melamine was bad news. The NVWA adopted that advice. Now it turns out that bamboo items without melamine also release too much formaldehyde when used. Reason enough for the NVWA to take immediate action. So all those environmentally friendly cups and items can go straight in the bin. But can you actually put them in the green waste bin?
Alternative?
Looking for an alternative? Then it’s good to know that plastic items made entirely of melamine are also discouraged by the NVWA and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre for children under four. They too release formaldehyde when heated. They should be safe for cold lemonade and sandwiches, but it may still not feel entirely right.
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