Once a year, the World Bamboo Organization puts together a diverse group of people, businesses, non-profits, and allied trade corporations that all share in one common interest – bamboo. Thanks to a more eco-conscious society, the many benefits of bamboo are becoming more prevalent than ever before.
Some may ask, why bamboo? Here are five reasons why bamboo is the most sustainable, renewable resource on the planet.
1. Self-Sustaining. Bamboo is technically classified in 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 continue to grow back right where you left it. No need to reseed it. Harvesting and growing bamboo doesn’t require any harmful chemicals or pesticides to assure growth.
2. Biodegradable and Repurposed. Once you’re done wearing or using any bamboo textile, you’re able to repurpose them rather than dispose of them. This, in turn, creates less waste. If your favorite bamboo items wear out, you can repurpose them into your favorite pillows, or seat covers. Bamboo is also biodegradable. Discarded items won’t leak dangerous gasses into the air or pollute the soil.
3. Easy on Sensitive Skin. Bamboo products are free of chemicals and naturally repel odors and allergens. Additionally, even after the plant itself is processed, it retains some of its more appealing attributes, including its ability to fight off fungus and bacteria. Bamboo plants host an anti-microbial agent called kun that protects it from any harmful agent.
4. Soft to the Touch. Most people look at bamboo and don’t believe that it can be transformed into the softest fabric on the planet. Although raw bamboo is rigid and stiff, bamboo viscose takes on a whole new texture. Bamboo clothing is soft to the touch, more so than cotton, and sports a silky sheen that makes it the best in natural luxury. It’s also flexible enough to move in freely, hugging your shape just right in some places and falling off in others. Notwithstanding its irresistibly soft texture and silk-like finish, bamboo material is much more affordable and durable than its textile counterparts.
5. Perfect for any Climate. Bamboo material is made for virtually any climate. It benefits from yet another raw plant trait: water absorbency. Thus, clothing made from bamboo is keenly efficient at keeping you dry because the fabric wicks moisture away from your body, letting it evaporate into the air. Also, because materials are typically composed of cross-sectional fibers, bamboo textiles trap heat well in cooler weather while remaining breathable when it’s hot out. Speaking of hot climates, bamboo clothes also offer excellent UVA/UVB protection.
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.
Help Cariloha support the World Bamboo Organization – it’s a comfy way to save the world.