Bamboo: The Wonder Plant🎋🎍

For thousands of years, bamboo has been one of the world’s most remarkable renewable resources and today, it’s reshaping the future of sustainable product design.  My initial thoughts on bamboo always go to pandas, then Asian culture, as the plant is very prolific there.  However, bamboo is natively found on every continent except Europe and Antarctica.  There is history of bamboo usage as far back as 5,000 years ago as building material, musical instruments and even paper.

Bamboo’s genetic structure is what makes it such a great resource as a material for creating just about anything.  I wasn’t aware until I started doing some research, but bamboo is actually part of the grass family of plants.  This is why it grows so quickly.  It reaches it’s maximum size and height in one growing season, while some hardwood trees will take over 100 years.

Bamboo can be used in its original form as building material for scaffolding, fencing, flooring, furniture and art work.  It can also be deconstructed to create ropes, rugs, paper, anything you can shape it into; the possibilities are infinite.

The UN has recognized bamboo as an integral part and asset of its Sustainable Development Goals.  Not only does its rapid regrowth and multi use function provide amazing renewable power, growing it provides business and economy for areas in the world that so desperately need it.  Areas like the Amazon that have been ravaged by the timber industry can now see growth (pun intended) in not only organic material once again but in industry and employment by the implantation of bamboo forests.

Bamboo forests have shown to hold 1.33 times the amount of carbon than that of hardwood timber forests.  This function is crucial in helping reduce the impacts of climate change. The rapid regrowth allows for harvesting to continue uninterrupted.  Bamboo can help mitigate the large carbon footprints made by industries such as steel and aluminum.

The best part about using bamboo is its compostability.  Hardwood products will take years to break down, even longer if the wood is treated.  Plastic and metal can only be recycled  But bamboo, in the right conditions, can break down in 4-6 months.  So that bamboo toothbrush that you bought and tossed in your compost after 3-6 months can be helping to fuel your tomato garden by the end of next season.  What was the other option?  Oh, forever in a stinky landfill.

The cyclical routine of Nature makes sense.  From the Earth to the Earth.  Let’s do things that make sense, not waste.

This article was an excellent resource that helped my understand so much more about bamboo and its importance.

Check out our selection of bamboo products.  Be the change you'd like to see in the world.