Plastic has been the preferred material among many manufacturers since it is cheap and durable. But in the past few years, there has been a growing appreciation for eco-friendly materials like bamboo to produce everyday products. Materials like bamboo fabric are sustainable since they are highly renewable and pose minimal effect on the environment. With continued and popular use, bamboo products might be the key to saving our planet.
Why Switch?
When was the last time you used products made from plastic? It will not come as a surprise if you answered that you used one today when you threw out trash or when you held your phone (yes, your phone is about 40% plastic). Plastic is present in almost everything that we do.
Dangerously so, this infamous material is the number one culprit for serious environmental problems like pollution, greenhouse gasses, marine life deaths, and many more. The sooner we switch to sustainable products that are made with more environmentally-friendly materials, the better we can curb the effects of global warming.
You might be curious as to how bamboo, a very typical material, can change our world. In this article, we are going to run you through the aspects of bamboo that makes it the number one hero in our journey to save the planet.
Persistent Weed That Grows on Any Soil
Contrary to popular belief, bamboo is actually a weed. Just like any weed that stubbornly grows in your garden, bamboos are extremely resilient and can survive in most conditions. From cold climates to warm ones, it can adjust well and grow on its own without a lot of tending to.
Even though it can grow in any country or region, it adapts best to dry areas with its ability to retain water from the soil. It can grow tall or short depending on the surrounding flora. For example, if the surrounding trees are tall, chances are the bamboos will grow even taller and so on.
Prevents Erosion
Its highly resilient nature is attributed to its ability to latch on to the ground and absorb moisture. Bamboo root systems are far-reaching which makes it effective at preventing soil erosion in many mountainous regions. Less erosion means more room for other trees to grow and flourish.
Healthy Manufacturing Practices
Unlike plastic that heavily relies on toxic chemicals to be manufactured, bamboo products take a lot less chemicals to make. It does not need pesticides and herbicides to survive. Processing it does not also require chemicals like the ones used to process cotton. This preserves not only the land that the bamboos are growing, but also ensures the safety of the consumers that use bamboo products.
Effectively Absorbs Greenhouse Gasses
We all know that hardwood trees are known for their ability to eliminate greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. You will find it interesting to note that bamboo does this, too, and even better! It is reported that bamboo can absorb up to 35% more greenhouse gases than the regular hardwood trees.
Of course, hardwood is still highly valuable to our planet. But bamboos are just as impressive, aren’t they?
Durable and Reliable Products
Bamboo products are relatively durable, lasting up to 2-7 years. The lifespan of your bamboo products, as with anything else, is dependent on the manufacturing quality, type of bamboo used, and consumer care. If you buy from subpar manufacturers, you cannot really expect long lasting products even when they are made from bamboo.
Easily Recyclable and Support Sustainability
Perhaps one of the best things about bamboo products is that they are so easy to recycle. If they are beyond repair, you can simply take them to a composting authority and have them recycled. You can also do the recycling at your own home.
Materials like bamboo fabric is sustainable, taking only one to five years for the raw materials to be produced in a clean and green way.
Keeps Bacteria at Bay
Remember when we mentioned that bamboo is highly resilient? The reason why they can survive in even the most pest-infested environment is because of their natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. This answers the mystery as to why it does not need any chemical treatments to stay protected from pests.
It has an antimicrobial bio-agent that retains its effects even when it is turned to products like bamboo utensils, bamboo socks, cups, and many others. The wonders of bamboo does not stop here either!
One Material, Countless Products!
Bamboo can be turned to anything – socks, kitchenware, device cases, interior decor, bicycles, construction materials, home furniture, soaps and more! The possibilities are endless. Nowadays, it is combined with other natural products to amplify its effect like charcoal for skin rejuvenating masks and cotton for the most comfortable bamboo cotton socks.
Reason Why Local Industries Thrive
The popularity of bamboo has paved the way for countless livelihoods to thrive. Local communities are able to have a steady stream of income by supplying bamboo to manufacturers. Small and medium businesses that offer bamboo products are booming as well. Many lives have been changed because of this one, absolutely simple, yet amazing material.
The suppliers and manufacturers are not the only ones affected as well. People who purchase bamboo products are benefiting from its effects. For instance, diabetics who use bamboo compression socks experience reduced swelling from wearing it. People who used to get irritation from other fabrics now find comfort with bamboo fabrics’ sustainable and antimicrobial properties.
Are you Ready to Make the Switch Today?
Wanting to see positive changes is different from actually taking part in the movement. Make the brave leap in switching to more eco-friendly products today. Purchasing bamboo products is just one of many ways to support the effort in rehabilitating our planet. Sometimes, you do not even have to spend money. Sharing this article to people who you know would be interested in the topic is already more than enough.
But if you do intend to actively switch, you can start by supporting your local shops that advertise bamboo product like Soles, your go-to bamboo socks store.