Fast Growing
One of the most well-known reasons that Bamboo is considered extremely renewable and sustainable is that it is very fast growing. Once bamboo is harvested, it only takes 3-5 years for a a new bamboo stalk to reach full height. Some types of bamboo can grow up to 1 meter per day. That's a great deal faster than other trees used to make wood - it can take them twenty years or more to reach full height. In addition, bamboo doesn't need to be replanted, so the original plant can continue growing even after the harvested parts are now part of your kitchen.If we demand that more products that were once made from wood are now made from bamboo, we can begin to alleviate deforestation.
Waste-Free
Cultivating bamboo also requires very little waste. Virtually every part of the bamboo plant is used to make a wide variety of products. It can be used in the kitchen for everything from being eaten as a common food in some parts of the world, to being made into plates and utensils, sushi sets, and much more! Fibers of bamboo can be made into cozy, soft fabrics and used to make clothing and apparel such as socks. Many people prefer bamboo-fiber socks because of its breath-ability and moisture-wicking nature.In places where bamboo is common, the residents can use bamboo to make virtually every part of their house, from small nail-like parts to hold things together, to furniture, doors, and the roof.
The leaves are also used, and can be woven into hats and baskets.
Oxygen Production
Harvesting bamboo isn't just choosing the lessor of two evils - in fact, harvesting bamboo is good for the environment. When old bamboo decays it emits carbon into the atmosphere, and because bamboo doesn't live as long as hardwood trees, by harvesting it earlier a forest of bamboo is prevented from becoming a carbon emitting environmental nightmare.In addition to harvesting bamboo preventing carbon emissions, bamboo also produces 35% more oxygen than trees. It can absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide, and scientists predict that bamboo can play an important role in preventing or even reversing climate change.
Bamboo is truly a fascinating plant and one of nature's most useful and interesting treasures. This is even more striking if you realize that bamboo isn't qualified as a tree -- it's technically considered a grass!
Check out our store on BambooMN.com, where we have a wide selection of bamboo products available. When you begin to increase your support of bamboo production and manufacturing, you will be pleased to see what an easy step this is to increase the sustainability of your household or business. As more and more businesses and individuals take the steps to choose bamboo over less sustainable materials, we step closer as a society to sustainability.
