You could surround yourself in bamboo.

You could slide out of sheets made of bamboo in the morning, placing your feet on a bamboo floor.

You could prepare breakfast on your bamboo countertops, flip your pancakes with a bamboo spatula or pour your cereal into a bamboo bowl.

When you dress for work, slide into a silky skirt and blouse made of bamboo and style your hair with a bamboo brush.

If you think you are starting to see bamboo products everywhere you turn, you probably are.

You can thank the sustainable, green movement for bamboo's growing popularity in the United States, far from the Asian and South American countries where it is commonly grown.

Bamboo gets the nod of the sustainable crowd because this grass, which can be used like wood, can be harvested every five to six years instead of the 20 to 30 years that hardwoods take.

In addition, it sucks in carbon dioxide and puts out oxygen, helping to counteract the effect of global warming.

According to an article in The New York Times, "A Cane the World Can Lean On," bamboo can store up to four time the carbon dioxide of a stand of trees of similar size, and releases 35 percent more oxygen.

Although the green claims of bamboo have their critics, manufacturers and retailers of many bamboo products are quick to tout its sustainability claims.

Rachelle Phillips, owner of Peachy Green in The Shops at Hager, Lancaster, sells clothing made of all-natural fibers. Her bamboo clothing is either 100 percent bamboo or combined with small percentages of cotton and Lycra.

People like bamboo fabric for activewear or layering, Phillips said, because of its natural wicking tendencies. Bamboo's naturally antimicrobial qualities, combined with that ability to draw sweat away from the skin, makes bamboo socks popular, she said.

Bamboo fabric also can be used for dressier clothing, said Phillips. People like it because it's a little flowier and more feminine than many other fabrics, and it feels almost like silk.

"The way (bamboo fabric) lays is flattering for almost anybody," said salesperson Tara Ruder of Millersville, "and it feels like you're wearing your jammies all day. How can you get any better than that?"

Anne Maza, vice president of sales at Olivia Gardens, is almost as excited about its line of bamboo hairbrushes.

Vertical lines of natural and carmelized bamboo (light and dark) that are carved together as one piece make the brushes look good, Maza said, and the bamboo brush is light to hold, but durable.

In some brushes, just the handle is bamboo and the bristles are made of other natural fibers. One brush, designed for scalp massage, is made of 100 percent bamboo.

Maza said the company offers the professional line because it is eco-friendly. Many brushes are made of wood from trees but, she said, "The environmental impact (of the bamboo brush) is much smaller than cutting down a tree," she said.

Brian Vandegrift, of Vandegrift Creative Construction in Conestoga installed a bamboo floor in his house. Bamboo appeals to him because he likes the health benefits.

Carpet has lots of toxins, he said, but bamboo flooring has less.

"The more toxins we can get out of our homes, the better off we'll be," Vandegrift said.

According to the EcoTimber Web site, the way bamboo flooring is processed determines its quality and its effect on air quality.

Bamboo floors hold up every bit as well as wood floors, Vandegrift said, and they are just as easy to install as any other tongue and groove floor. A protective finish on top is necessary, he said, but that can be done with environmentally friendly sealant. Cost is comparable to wood, he said.

At Apron Strings, a high-end culinary store in The Shops at Hager, Totally Bamboo cutting boards are the most popular bamboo kitchen utensil.

Bamboo is a "renewable resource," owner Jocelyn Wolff said. "That's why it's becoming so popular."

Bamboo cutting boards are good for knives, Wolff said. As you use the board, it sharpens your knife. Wood cutting boards will dull it.

You shouldn't cut fish and chicken on the bamboo board, Wolff said, but any other meat is OK. It can be cleaned with a paste of sea salt.

Bamboo critics, who comment on numerous environmental Web sites, say bamboo isn't as environmentally friendly as it first appears.

For starters, most of it has to be shipped to the United States on oil-powered ships, creating a significant carbon footprint. Other critics point to the use of pesticides and chemicals used in processing. Some people claim natural panda habitat is destroyed to grow bamboo for profit.

Nevertheless, bamboo has the potential to be a very sustainable product once those issues are addressed, environmentalists agree.

Several entrepreneurs in the United States are figuring out ways to grow the species of bamboo here that can be manufactured into helpful products. (The bamboo that grows locally is not usable and is considered an invasive species, according to the Lancaster County Conservancy.)

E-mail: Lespenshade@Lnpnews.com