This cork tree has been harvested since 1783. It's a
living.
If you're using plastic and glass cutting boards, you might as well just stab yourself in the abdomen.
It's long been known that wood cutting boards have a natural disinfectant property that plastic and glass lack and are much easier on the blade than either. In fact plastic cutting boards may actually retain salmonella and other bacteria in the tiny slices you make in them.
And glass is known as a "knife-killer" for its effectiveness in dulling the blade.
Now comes word of a wood cutting board that is also good for the environment.
Cutting boards made from cork tree bark, when done properly do not kill the tree. The cork tree has an inner and outer bark and when you strip the outer bark, the tree keeps making the bark indefinitely. No comment from the tree, but I guess it's better than being chopped down.
The boards are said to be as durable as hardwood and produce a waxy substance that is said to be naturally anti-bacterial.
Another natural sustainable substance is bamboo. Bamboo is essentially a giant blade of grass that can grow a foot a day in some varieties. When you cut it down, the roots live and grow new shoots.
Of course you might want to know what kind of chemicals your cutting board was "treated" with, which might negate some of the beneficial qualities.And some bamboo is from China. Yeah, that China.
Your best bet is to make your own board from FSC sustainable wood. Or buy it from someone who sells it like Jackel Enterprises.
If you liked that. try these Wellness Posts;
Quinoa, health food that doesn't suck
Superfood kimchi, but man does it stink
Comments
oh my gosh - this is so important ! when I go into a clients home I make them throw out all glass/ plastic cutting boards - I have them look at all of the grooves int he plastic cutting board and then I ask them the following question:
"where do you think all of that plastic goes that made the groove?"
"uhh..." they think for a moment.
"in my stomach?"
ah yes... in your stomach. our bodies were made millions of years ago and they do not know what the heck to do with plastic - wood on the other hand or cork , or bamboo are all found in nature- our bodies TOTALLY get nature and know what to do with it!
thanks for this post Roger.
-Donna Sonkin
HHC.,AADP.
www.getthinforthecamera.com
Hi there! Thanks for the informative article! We totally agree! My husband has designed a line of sustainably-harvested, handmade maple and walnut cutting boards. You can check them out here:
www.thegreatergreen.com/wood.html
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