Bamboo is a fantastic resource that's both organic and sustainable. It can grow quickly, preventing future environmental destruction. It is considered one of the best materials that can be incorporated into items to make them durable, sustainable, and long-lasting.
Products made from organic bamboo are not harmful since they don't have any plastic materials added to them. Bamboo is leading the way as an environmentally-friendly alternative, but is it sustainable in all forms? Especially when it's used in large quantities? Does it possess eco-friendly qualities, or have you fallen for the newest greenwashing ruse?
Let's go further into the facts of bamboo's long-term viability.
What Is Bamboo?
Organic bamboo is a rapidly growing, ecologically sustainable grass that is renewable. It looks like a short and thin tree. It is easy to produce since it requires no insecticides or herbicides and only a small water supply to thrive.
It can be found in Southeast Asia, the USA's southern areas, Africa, and Latin America. Certain kinds may also thrive in colder regions, like those found in the United Kingdom and Northern America.
When it comes to bamboo's sustainability, it is usually used as a raw material for apparel and homeware purposes. It can also be used as a food item in several regions around the globe. Besides the cute and cuddly panda, bamboo is consumed by various animals like golden monkeys, bamboo lemurs, and chimpanzees.
Bamboo stalks have been consumed for centuries. Bamboo shoots, which are commonly seen in Asian recipes, are low-fat and have fewer calories while being high in fibre and potassium. If you've ever visited Southeast Asia, you've probably noticed bamboo being utilised widely in buildings.
Organic bamboo is frequently utilised as scaffolding, support systems, and even building material for huts and buildings. This is because bamboo is extremely strong, having a tensile strength of 28,000 PSI. It's two times stronger than steel, which is only 23,000 PSI.
Based on all this information, bamboo appears to be a super-plant. Is it, however, as environmentally friendly as people believe?
Eco-Friendliness
Bamboo's capacity to store CO2 and make oxygen is one of its most significant environmental advantages. Per hectare, it has been shown to absorb 12 tonnes of CO2. The material is strong and light at the same time. Some might even say it's stronger than wood and, as mentioned above, it has a higher tensile strength than steel.
It is used throughout Asia to replace steel in construction buildings and concrete reinforcement. The fact that it's grass with no weak areas throughout its length makes it stronger and more durable than most hardwoods. It also grows considerably quicker than both softwood and hardwood. Its harvesting can take place every 3–7 years. Some types of bamboo get harvested when they reach 30–50 years of maturity.
Sustainability
Bamboo's adaptability allows it to be employed in many goods. Bamboo toothbrushes, cooking utensils, and cutlery sets are used more often nowadays. Bamboo straws and coffee mugs are available and being used as replacements for their plastic counterparts. Clothing apparel, carpeting, and furniture are also included.
Plastic cooking utensils and dinnerware may also be replaced with moulded bamboo. As long as it's devoid of melamine, which is something that many people believe to be hazardous. The answer may not always be black-and-white when it comes to sustainability questions.
While determining if a bamboo item is sustainable, examine the following factors:
- What country is the product arriving from, and how will it be sent from there?
- What kind of processing is necessary to create the item? Consider the amount of electricity and resources used in the process.
- Has the product been made with any potentially harmful chemicals? Are additional compounds added that undermine the benefits of utilising bamboo as a basic material?
- Are there other items available that are even more sustainable than this?
A company's supply chain isn't always reliable. It's all too frequently impossible to acquire answers to these inquiries. Let's look at some of the most common bamboo goods and examine their long-term viability.
Bamboo Packaging
Packaging created from bamboo fibres follows a similar procedure to that of paper and cardboard, and in most cases, no extra additives or substances are used. It is a highly sustainable option as opposed to all the other packaging alternatives that waste materials and leave behind a huge carbon footprint.
Since the packaging is made from organic bamboo, it is biodegradable and compostable. Keep it a habit of double-checking the labels to see if anything out of the ordinary is added to the packaging during the formation phase. It is currently being utilised as packing material for electrical and computing products. One notable firm that uses bamboo wrapping for its products is Dell.
Maintaining Bamboo Sustainability
Unprocessed bamboo is a more environmentally friendly option than wood and steel. Bamboo's durability may be maintained by utilising it for furnishings, flooring, and cutlery sets. As mentioned, it has a lower carbon footprint and is lightweight. Before people move to this lifestyle, they should also check out FSC timber farms around them. A few of them sell reused or repurposed wood as well.
Bamboo Products Benefits
People still only think about panda bears chewing on green stalks when they hear the word bamboo. But that's not the case anymore; people have progressed far too ahead with making products out of this grass. Its unusually fast growth makes it incredibly valuable for producing the high-quality items that people require.
It may sound like people are reverting to old-age eating utensils like bamboo chopsticks, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Mother Nature needs help, and adding natural products into your life is beneficial for you and the earth alike.
Bamboo has a lot going for it, starting with the fact that it's aesthetically pleasing. It has a unique grain that is both stylish and organic in appearance. While aesthetics are crucial for any high-quality product, bamboo's advantages only grow from there.
It Holds Up Nicely Over Time
Compared to most other materials, bamboo is highly resistant to decay and bending due to dampness. You'll still need to look after your bamboo items, but you'll be working with superior material. It is also UV resistant by nature. This makes it ideal for various items, from flooring to apparel.
Textile Uses
Textiles made from bamboo are gentler and more durable than cotton textiles. Towels, bedding, and apparel made from bamboo are more absorbent than their cotton counterparts. Bamboo fibre sheets are extremely airy and thermo-regulating. This helps ensure a good night's sleep for people who prefer varying levels of hotness and coolness. Frequent users of bamboo bed sheets have quickly been enamoured with them and are reluctant to use anything else.
No Extra Chemicals
Bamboo is finally being acknowledged as a very environmentally friendly material. It stands out from other elements in a variety of ways. It doesn't grow with the help of any chemicals and fertilisers such as pesticides or herbicides.
No bugs are fond of bamboo. Pesticides aren't needed to keep damaging pests away from a bamboo grove. Consequently, no chemicals will be released into the soil or water as an outcome of bamboo growing.
Requires Less Water
Growing bamboo doesn't necessitate a lot of water. While bamboo thrives in wetland environments, it may also thrive in areas where other plants would require more irrigation to live. Freshwater is a resource we can't afford to waste, and bamboo helps in that situation by not being a needy plant.
Helps the Soil Fare Better
When it's time to harvest this grass, it's easily chopped at ground level. The root system stays in the soil and generates new bamboo shoots fast. During harvesting periods, the root structure that remains in the ground will help the soil withstand erosion. Bamboo is grown along riverbanks in some regions to avoid land degradation.
It also scatters its leaves and stems over the soil where it grows. This organic matter decomposes into mulch and serves as a fertiliser. If a bamboo item is destroyed, it is comforting to note that it is completely biodegradable.
Bamboo Products versus Plastic Products
- If there are cutting boards made of bamboo, they are less likely to harbour germs and are softer on a cook's knife.
- Plastic cutlery tends to bend when subjected to heat but bamboo cutlery setsand chopsticks remain straight and sturdy.
- Kitchenware like plastic plates tends to leak chemicals that can easily get into the food, like sauerkraut, which contains a lot of acid. Not only would bamboo tableware give your table an attractive, rustic aesthetic, but it will also keep you from ingesting latent toxins from the plastic production process.
If you're searching for high-quality, sustainable, and durable organic bamboo items, look no further. My Little Panda is your one-stop-shop solution that sells various organic and environmentally friendly items, including personalised bamboo cutlery sets, reusable and customisable bamboo utensils, bamboo straw bundles, and bamboo toothbrushes travel sets, among other products.
Help Mother Nature by becoming an avid user of sustainable hemp shopping bags and shop bamboo cutlery in the UK. Contact My Little Panda now for more information.