World Bamboo Day: what can you do with this material?
Perhaps you have noticed it in recent years: more and more products that used to be made of wood or another non-sustainable material are now made of bamboo. What are the advantages of this material, and what can you use it for? You can read all about it in this blog.
What is bamboo?
Bamboo is a plant that consists of a hollow stem and can grow in a wide variety of climates. You can find bamboo in tropical regions, but some species also grow very well in cold mountainous areas! Bamboo stalks grow super fast, sometimes up to 3 times faster than regular wood.
Environmentally friendly growth
As you have read above, bamboo grows much faster than regular wood. For this reason, bamboo can be cultivated in a much more environmentally friendly way. Growing bamboo requires far less land than wood. Using bamboo is also a great solution for deforestation! As everyone knows, trees are essential for oxygen production. Using photosynthesis, they remove CO2 from the air and convert it into oxygen. What few people know is that this process takes place almost 4 times as efficiently in bamboo. Thus, bamboo products contribute directly and indirectly to cleaner air in the environment!
Good for small-scale farmers
Due to the overuse of agricultural land, farmers have increasingly been left with infertile soil in recent years. Bamboo is one of the few materials that can still grow in these difficult conditions. Because bamboo grows so easily, the entire cultivation process can take place without the need for pesticides or other herbicides. The nutrient-rich leaves of the bamboo plant subsequently make the soil suitable for other products again. The plants also remove harmful substances such as mercury and lead from the soil. These are then stored in the stems in a harmless form!
Wonderfully soft
One of the applications of bamboo that you might not have expected is its use for soft materials such as tissues and make-up pads. Bamboo stalks consist of many short fibers. Through a chemical process, these fibers are made into viscose, which can then be spun into wonderfully soft yarn. These yarns can not only be washed over and over again, but they also become softer and more absorbent after every wash!
Replaces disposable products
A large portion of the plastic disposable products that form the plastic soup in the ocean can easily be replaced by bamboo alternatives! Think of toothbrushes, straws, or cups. Bamboo straws, in particular, are a really fun alternative to plastic or paper straws. Due to the unique shape of bamboo, each straw has a slightly different shape, meaning you have a perfect straw for every drink. For a cocktail, for example, you can use a thinner straw, while a smoothie tastes great with a thicker straw!
Biodegradable
Unfortunately, there will always come a time when you have to throw away your beloved bamboo products. Fortunately, bamboo is 100% biodegradable, so you can simply throw it in the organic waste bin. This prevents the emission of harmful substances into the environment. TIP: When you throw away your bamboo toothbrush, first break off the head with the bristles and throw that in the residual waste: the bristles are not biodegradable.
Avoid packaging material
Every day, tons of unnecessary plastic packaging material are produced and discarded. By buying bamboo products that can be reused over and over again, you save a huge amount of plastic compared to alternative plastic products. The eco-friendly packaging in which most bamboo products are delivered also ensures that you are doing the environment a real favor!
Unexpectedly reusable
Have you ever thought about reusing your paper towels? Or your cotton pads? And your baby wipes? It might sound a bit unhygienic at first, but it doesn't have to be. Because most bamboo products are so absorbent, dirt is often immediately soaked deep into the fibers. If you rinse it off after use and then wash it at 40 degrees, the product is as good as new. Due to the unique properties of bamboo, you will even notice that they become a bit softer after every wash! TIP: Washing works best without fabric softener. When you are done washing, it is best not to iron or tumble dry the cloths, but to let them air dry.
Summary
As you have read, there are countless benefits to using bamboo products. It is extremely environmentally friendly, looks stylish, and you can reuse the products for a very long time. If you are interested, take a look at the Grace is Green webshop to see if there is a nice product for you.