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There are many goods now available that is made of bamboo and bamboo fibres: food, bedding, toothbrush, clothing, household items construction materials, and even toilet paper. It’s strength, versatility, and ecological benefits are pretty amazing!
Bamboo is an evergreen perennial flowering plant in the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. There are almost 1500 species of bamboo that can be found in Asia, Australia, North and South America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Bamboo can grow on different altitudes and under various climate conditions, but it prefers tropical climate.
Bamboo is a unique plant as it has both tree- and grass-like features suitable for survival in many habitats and is often referred to as a natural composite.
Bamboo is a remarkable plant for all kinds of reasons. Bamboo is the one of the fastest growing (fun fact: some bamboo species can grow by 30 cm per day), renewable and sustainable material and it also grows fast. And there are some other reasons as well!
7 reasons why bamboo is one of the most sustainable material on Earth:
- It grows rapidly and cheaply, for a bamboo plant to reach harvesting age takes only 3-5 years
- It very resilient, it can grow in a wide range of environments
- Doesn’t require pesticides or chemical fertilisers to grow
- It requires no irrigation and rarely need it to be replanted
- It releases over 30% more oxygen into the atmosphere compared to an equivalent mass of trees or other plants
- It can grow in poor soil and a great soil erosion inhibitor
- The production into fibres has lower environmental impact than other forms of fibre
But bamboo also have all kinds of super power:
It’s a nutritious food
Bamboo shoots are packed with protein and dietary fibre. At the same time it is low in calorie and sugar. It is also rich in Vitamin A, B6, E, and calcium, zinc, and potassium.
Antibacterial natural medicine
Because of its antibacterial properties it can be used to heal wounds faster and it’s known to help treating mouth ulcers and other infections.
Bioenergy
Bamboo makes a sustainable alternative for bioenergy production. Several substances that can be produced from bamboo are charcoal, biofuel, and biomass.
Beauty products
Bamboo is packed with ingredients that work to heal and regenerate the skin. This is thanks to the fact that bamboo contains 70% natural silica. It also contains amino acids and flavonoids, which are rich with antioxidants.
Fresh air
As a super fast-growing plant, bamboo does a pretty good job in carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen production. Its ability to absorb pollutants and release a significant amount of oxygen into the atmosphere makes it an ideal candidate for combating climate change.
