by 
Bamboo is one of the most sustainable, renewable resources on the planet. Every year, the World Bamboo Organization pull together a diverse group of people, businesses, non-profits, and trade organizations to share and promote the many qualities and benefits of bamboo.
Thanks in large part to a more eco-conscious global society, the many benefits of bamboo are becoming more prevalent than ever before. Some may ask, why take the time to celebrate bamboo, a plant that grows out of the ground like all the rest? Here are five reasons why bamboo is unique and worth recognizing and appreciating every year on September 18.
Bamboo is Sustainable
Bamboo is technically classified within the grass family, and some species of bamboo can grow up to three feet a day. When a bamboo stalk is cut down, it doesn’t die and become unusable, rather it will grows right back right. No need to reseed it. Harvesting and growing bamboo doesn’t require any harmful chemicals or pesticides either.
1. Saves Our Soils
Every year, the U.S. generates 22.4 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste, which ultimately ends up in U.S. landfills. According to the EPA, the recycling rate for items such as sheets and pillowcases is only 16.3 percent – landfills get the majority of everything else and most is non-biodegradable.
Bamboo grows out of earth’s natural soils without the use of any harmful chemicals or pesticides, making for cleaner, safer soils and healthier dirt quality.
2. Saves Our Oceans
Eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land. One of the biggest sources is called nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff.
Because bamboo never has to be uprooted or reseeded after harvesting, and it doesn’t use harmful chemicals or herbicides, it helps retain and improve soil health and prevents dangerous water or chemical runoff that can pollute our oceans and waterways.
3. Cleans Our Air
Air pollution and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are on the rise and becoming substantially worse every year.
During combustion or burning, carbon from fossil fuels combine with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide. Stands of bamboo consume 45% more carbon dioxide and can produce 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
4. Grows Organically
Plant fertilizers can irritate or poison people and pets if they’re touched, inhaled or accidentally ingested. Nitrates are the ingredients that cause the poisoning. Nitrates are a form of nitrogen that plants can easily absorb.
Bamboo requires no fertilizer, pesticides or chemicals to grow. It has no harmful residues left on it compared with non-sustainable, chemically damaging cultivation that other fabrics may require. Bamboo sequesters nitrogen and does not add chemicals to the environment.
5. Renews Itself Naturally
Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they’re disappearing at an alarming rate. The threats manifest themselves in the form of deforestation and forest degradation.
When you cut down bamboo, it grows right back. It’s part of the grass family. No reseeding or harmful chemicals are needed – just clean soil, sunshine and water. The bamboo lifecycle stays perpetually in motion, constantly enriching and replenishing the world around it.
6. Prevents Erosion
Once hardwood forests are clear-cut and the stumps are burned to provide fertilizer and space for growing crops, erosion inevitably occurs as the topsoil and nutrients are washed away by rainfall.
Bamboo roots renew themselves and remain in place after harvesting, preventing erosion and helping retain nutrients for the next harvest. Bamboo can grow in arid regions where droughts cause other crops to fail and, since the roots are left in place after harvesting, it helps to preserve vital moisture in the soil.
7. Saves Our Skin
Products made from bamboo viscose or lyocell, including bedding, bath goods, and apparel, are free of harmful chemicals and naturally repel odors and allergens. They’re buttery soft to the touch and help prevent any skin irritations that can come from other fabrics.
Feeling the bamboo-soft difference for yourself is really what makes switching to bamboo so worthwhile and easy. And, World Bamboo Day is the perfect day for making that change.
When we use sustainable bamboo-viscose products, not only does it provide luxury comfort for the user, but it helps save the environment, too…it’s a Comfy Way to Save the Planet™.