Why is Bamboo Eco-friendly?

We produce potentially 190 millions tons of single use plastic a year. Depending on the type of plastic, it can take anywhere from 20 to a 1000 years to decompose.

An alternative is essential for reducing the harm to our planet. In recent years, bamboo has been a rising sustainable alternative to plastic. Among the benefits of bamboo clothing material include:

Durability
Biodegradability
Softness

But you might wonder why bamboo is a good sustainable choice. Here are a few reasons bamboo is an excellent option to use to make products.

1. Bamboo grows faster

Bamboo, when established, grows in a few months, making it a more sustainable resource than trees, which takes 30 years to grow. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet. Certain species of the plant can grow up to 45 inches per day.

The reason that bamboo grows so fast is because they grow in dense forests, which limits the light it can receive at ground level. The plant had to adapt by growing to reach the sunlight as quick as possible to get the nourishment it needs.

Using more of it helps to preserve more trees that help absorb our CO2. Best of all, bamboo requires little fertilizer or water to grow. They don’t even require pesticides either.

2. Bamboo absorbs carbon better

Researchers have found that just one hectare of bamboo can absorb 17 tonnes of carbon a year. Additionally, bamboo releases 30% more oxygen than trees do.

Needless to say, the more bamboo we’re growing, the better for the planet. Consumers have the power to make bamboo clothing an in demand product. Making it in demand will encourage more production of bamboo, which will help our environment.

3. Bamboo is durable

As mentioned earlier, this plant is often praised for it’s durability. It’s even possible to build houses with bamboo. One clothing company noted that the clothing can last for years.

With clothes lasting that long, you can save by not having to purchase new clothes frequently. With people not buying clothes as often, hopefully that would influence fashion companies to produce them less often.

Overall, that would help us to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in our atmosphere. The fashion industry is said to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.

Final thoughts on bamboo

Beyond all the good bamboo can do for our environment, it does good for us too. Another benefit of using it as clothing material is it’s breathability.

The fiber has micro holes and gaps that help provide better absorption of moisture. It also helps you have more ventilation as well. Additionally, it’s said that bamboo can provide natural UV protection.

You might find after you start wearing bamboo clothes, you won’t see need to shop for any other kind. The only thing to be mindful is that it can shrink clothing.

These days, bamboo is being used to create instruments, paper, toothbrushes, and much more. Looking for bamboo alternatives to some of our household items can be a good place to start in using more of this material. It’s important that we all do our best to stop purchasing anymore single use plastic items.