Bamboo: Eco-friendly, beauty, and sustainability
Bamboo: Eco-friendly, beauty, and sustainability
There are over 1000 species of bamboo. This amazing plant grows in tropical and temperate environments and is very hardy, not needing pesticides or herbicides to grow well. It is a type of grass and grows from its roots, when it is cut it quickly grows back with most species maturing in 3-5 years.
Some facts about the sustainability of bamboo are:
It is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
It requires no irrigation.
It rarely needs replanting.
It grows rapidly and can be harvested in 3-5 years.
It produces 35% more oxygen that an equivalent stand of trees.
It sequesters carbon dioxide and is carbon neutral.
It is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
It is an excellent soil erosion inhibitor.
It grows in a wide range of environments.
Bamboo springs immediately to mind when you think of China. It seems to be at the heart of many traditions and customs. Buildings and all sorts of handicrafts are made from it, and bamboo forms the diet of another great emblem of China the Giant Panda.
Bamboo is a monster grass rather than a tree or shrub. Some species can grow 2 feet (61 cm) in a single day. Like other grasses it extends vertically to its full height in a few months while producing leaves at nodes. This growth pattern produces uniform cylindrical and un-branched stems making it ideal for all sorts of uses. The mature stem, called a ‘culm’, will remain strong for a few years before fungi rot it from the inside.
In China there are 500 different species of bamboo. It grows chiefly in central and southern China where in places, bamboo can form whole forests and these account for about 5% of the forested area of China. Bamboo can be found throughout South East Asia, Central and South America not just China. Worldwide there are over 1,400 species. It grows best in moist climates with long growing seasons; only a few species can tolerate extreme cold. Species vary in height from a few inches up to 100 feet [30 meters]. It is grown as a timber crop in mountainous regions particularly Guangxi province. It needs very few nutrients to grow and most varieties regrow from buried seed when they are harvested. So it is a much better alternative to normal forests.
Bamboo is the most best for the Planet.
Although there are over a thousand species of bamboo, only MOSO is perfect for manufacturing into our beautiful, durable daily products. When it is ready for harvest, organically grown MOSO bamboo is cut and carried out of the forest on foot by family farmers. This gentle harvesting method sustains the grove's delicate root system for future growth.
MOSO bamboo is not a part of the Panda diet or habitat—just one more reason our bamboo is the best choice for the planet and for your daily life.
The famous poet Su Shi said “You can live without eating meat but you can not live without bamboo.”