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This or That? What's better? EVs vs. Hybrids, Cotton vs. Bamboo Fabric, Bamboo vs. Plastic Toothbrushes
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Welcome to another "This or That" episode!
This short, snappy installment investigates the sustainability of three topics you've asked me about, helping you make informed decisions.
Today, it's: Electric Vehicles (EVs) vs. Hybrids, Cotton vs. Bamboo Fabric, and Bamboo vs. Plastic Toothbrushes.
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Transcript
Kia ora, kaitiaki, and welcome to Now That's What I Call Green. I'm your host, Brianne West, an environmentalist and entrepreneur, trying to get you as excited about our planet as I am.
I'm all about creating a scientific approach to making the world a better place—without the judgment—and making it fun. And, of course, we’ll be chatting about some of the most amazing creatures we share our planet with.
So, if you’re looking to navigate everything green (or not so green), you’ve come to the right place.
Today’s episode is a This or That—our short, snappy pod episodes where we break down the least impactful options for you based on things you’ve asked me about on Instagram.
Today, I’ve got three:
Obviously, it’s a bamboo-y kind of day.
But before I start, I want you to jot down which one you think is the winner in each category. The reason I ask you to do this is because so many people have assumptions about sustainability that are often wrong.
If you want an example, go and check out any of the videos I’ve posted on Instagram about glass vs plastic bottles and which is better—when referring to single-use here. People get really mad that glass is so much worse than plastic, like I have personally offended them.
Anyway, there’s a prize in it for you if you participate.
This one seems like a no-brainer. Electric vehicles are better, obviously.
But let’s have a look at the numbers.
There’s a study done by the Union of Concerned Scientists—yes, that’s actually their name—and they found that EVs, on average, produce about 50% fewer emissions over their lifetime compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.
That’s no surprise to anyone.
And yes, for anyone who talks about the battery—this study considers the manufacturing process, the energy used to power the vehicle, and the end of life (i.e. recycling the battery, or not).
Hybrids, because they still partially rely on fossil fuels, are more efficient than petrol or diesel cars. They’re often more accessible to consumers due to lower costs than EVs. They also have smaller batteries, meaning less demand for materials like lithium and cobalt—both of which, as I’ve mentioned in a previous episode, have hideous environmental and ethical concerns.
But here’s the main point:
Even if you live somewhere where the grid is primarily fossil-fuel-powered, EVs still come out ahead.
A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation found that EVs produce fewer emissions than hybrids and conventional vehicles in most regions—even in areas with coal-heavy grids.
This is because, while the initial carbon footprint of manufacturing an EV (particularly the battery) is higher, the emissions savings during the vehicle’s use phase more than compensate for it over time—because electric motors are just that much more efficient.
That said, there are scenarios where hybrids may make more sense.
If you’re someone who drives really long distances frequently—particularly for work in areas with limited charging infrastructure—a hybrid offers the best of both worlds. You get the flexibility of a fuel engine with the benefits of electric driving.
Hybrids also tend to have a lower upfront cost compared to EVs (though obviously, EV prices are coming down).
Although, of course, we’ve lost the Clean Car Discount—thank you very much, National government, for that piece of legislation.
So, while EVs absolutely have the upper hand in emissions and long-term sustainability—no, that does not mean they’re perfect (very few solutions are).
Hybrids definitely have their place—particularly when you consider cost, range, and resource use.
Like everything, it’s a little bit grey.
This is a pretty common debate in sustainable fashion circles.
At first glance, bamboo seems like the obvious winner, right? It grows fast, doesn’t typically require pesticides, and uses less water than cotton.
But is it that clear?
Hmm. Let’s see.
There are two key phases to consider:
Conventional cotton farming is very resource-intensive. Cotton is thirsty.
(I don’t know why I said it like that.)
The Water Footprint Network found that it takes up to 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton. That is bonkers.
This obviously has major implications in water-scarce regions—which, naturally, is where we tend to grow cotton.
Go us.
Cotton farming also relies heavily on pesticides and fertilisers.
Conventional cotton is estimated to use about 16% of the world’s insecticides and 7% of the world’s pesticides—even though it only covers 2.5% of the planet’s agricultural land.
That’s a big one.
It’s not just the environment that suffers—it’s the health of farmers and surrounding communities, too.
You do have organic cotton, which is a more sustainable alternative.
It’s grown without most synthetic chemicals and often uses less water due to more sustainable farming practices.
But its yields are lower—meaning it requires more land to produce the same amount of fabric.
Plus, shifting to organic farming is challenging and costly for farmers.
So, it’s not a perfect solution.
Bamboo is often hailed as a super crop.
But not all bamboo is grown sustainably.
There are concerns about deforestation and the impact of large-scale bamboo plantations on biodiversity.
Like with any crop, sustainability depends on how and where it’s grown.
So, ask questions.
Now, if we have a look at processing it into fabric, the story gets a bit more complicated.
Cotton processing is relatively straightforward—fibres are separated from the seeds through a process called ginning, then spun into yarn and woven into fabric.
Bamboo processing?
Very different.
Most bamboo fabric on the market is bamboo viscose (also known as rayon).
This involves breaking down bamboo pulp with strong chemicals—such as carbon disulfide.
These chemicals can be highly harmful to workers and the environment—particularly if wastewater isn’t treated.
(Spoiler: It often isn’t.)
There are more sustainable methods—such as the lyocell process, which uses a closed-loop system to recycle water and solvents.
However, lyocell bamboo fabric is less common and more expensive.
So, which is better?
It depends.
If bamboo is grown sustainably and processed using the lyocell method, it’s probably the better choice.
But if we’re talking conventional bamboo viscose vs organic cotton, then organic cotton might actually come out ahead.
In an ideal scenario, bamboo lyocell wins.
But if it’s conventional bamboo viscose vs organic cotton, I’d lean towards cotton.
And, of course, make sure whatever you choose is ethically made and fairly traded.
Yes, this is a little niche—but we all use toothbrushes.
(Or, Christ, I hope we do.)
Everybody goes on about bamboo toothbrushes, assuming they’re the more eco-friendly alternative.
They’re biodegradable, they come from one of the fastest-growing renewable resources on Earth, and they offer a way to reduce plastic waste.
But—(and there’s always a but)—when we look at the full life cycle, which I encourage everyone to do (but so many people refuse to), it gets more complicated.
Because again—sustainability is grey.
Plastic toothbrushes—with replaceable heads—are becoming more and more common.
One of my mentee companies, Fongky (F-O-N-G-K-Y)—(not an endorsement, just telling you they’re an option)—actually makes these.
(Okay, that sounded mean—go ahead and check them out.)
And when you compare them, replaceable-head toothbrushes actually come out ahead in terms of sustainability.
Plastic toothbrushes (with replaceable heads):
✅ Require much less energy and water to produce than bamboo toothbrushes.
✅ Significantly reduce plastic waste since you only replace the head, not the entire brush.
✅ Extend the life of the handle—so ideally, you only ever need one.
Bamboo toothbrushes:
❌ The production and processing of bamboo into a usable form is resource-intensive.
❌ The bristles are still plastic—so you have to cut them off before composting (and how many people actually do that?).
❌ They don’t break down in landfill—because nothing does.
I can already hear people getting mad in the comments.
But this is the reality of science, right?
The thing that excites people about bamboo toothbrushes is the end-of-life scenario.
But it’s not as simple as you think.
✅ Yes, bamboo handles are biodegradable—but only if composted properly.
❌ In landfill, they won’t break down (because, again—nothing really does).
❌ The plastic bristles still exist, and they’re usually made from nylon—so you have to remove them.
Meanwhile, a plastic toothbrush with a replaceable head minimises waste because you only replace the small head, not the whole brush.
Massively reducing plastic waste.
So, when you consider resource use, energy consumption, and waste generation, a replaceable-head toothbrush is the most sustainable option available.
And I know people will fight me on this one—which is why I’ve got a handy-dandy life cycle analysis for you to read.
It compares:
Feel free to read it—you might just be a little surprised.
Were your guesses right?
I imagine maybe two out of three were easy.
I suspect most people got the toothbrush one wrong.
If you want to enter the draw to win a set of Incrediballs when they launch in a couple of months, just pop a comment on the Now That’s What I Call Green post for this episode.
Let me know which one surprised you the most.
Or—if you’re feeling smug—you can celebrate the fact that you got them all right.
(But of course, I want proof.)
Thank you for joining me!
Next time, I have an amazing special guest—who is not only a model, a science communicator, a scientist, and an activist, but an all-round incredible person.
She’s also obsessed with whales—so yes, there will be whale talk.
See you next time!
And let me know if there are any other This or That topics you’d like me to cover—because there’s always more to explore.
And there you go.
I hope you learned something—and realised that being green isn’t about having a perfectly curated pantry full of matching glass jars or living in a commune.
If that’s your jam—fabulous.
But at its heart, sustainability is just about using what you need.
If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t keep it to yourself!
Drop me a rating, hit that subscribe button, and I’ll see you next week.
Kia ora!
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