Bamboo. So what's the fuss?

Bamboo. So what's the fuss?

 

You may have been introduced to Bamboo as an alternative material and fabric choice – but you may not know the exact details of why it’s the wonder plant it really is. As a company that’s surrounded by it daily (literally!), let us give you some insights…

Often labelled as ‘the world’s most renewable material’, Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world – reaching speeds of up to 35 in per day or at a rate of 0.00002 mph. (Guinness World Record, n.d.).

  • What this means as a material source is that it easily keeps up with demands of material production, and as a community we do not need to place extra pressures on hardwood tree plantations that cannot renew themselves as easily.
  • In addition to the speed in which bamboo grows, it also absorbs carbon dioxide and produces more oxygen than a similar group of trees – which as we know is brilliant in dealing with greenhouse gas emissions and producing clean, fresh oxygen.

  • In terms of agricultural management of the plantations themselves, bamboo requires no pesticides and little water (in particular in comparison to cotton crops) and has been known to be used to ‘repair’ soil damaged caused by overgrazing and farming techniques. Anyone that has tried to remove bamboo from their home gardens, will be more than familiar with the complex network of roots at the base of the plant! Although this can prove a right pain for urban gardening and landscaping, on a commercial level this complex network means it continues to grow after harvesting and is ideal for preventing soil erosion and flooding.
  • When Bamboo is harvested, there are multiple ways that it can be produced into a fibre. We use a Lyocell production process, that is considered to be the most environmentally friendly method of manufacturing bamboo cloth fibre. This is because it is more sustainable than most common chemical processing methods. According to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), Lyocell is defined as a cellulose fabric made by an organic solvent spinning process. The compounds used in this processing method are non-toxic and much safer for humans than other commercial processing chemicals. About 99.5% of the elements used are captured in a close-loop container, which means they can then be recycled with minimal amounts of them being released into the environment, avoiding air and water pollution. 

Versatile, strong, sustainable and readily available – Bamboo is a plant that we love working with, on our mission to create innovative products that minimise environmental impact.


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