Bend It Like Bamboo
‘Bamboo’ is one of those words that, on being spoken, doesn’t immediately conjure up its actual image in the mind’s eye — if your imagination went to a picture of a panda first, you’re the next one in a long list of people that have thought the same.
This is precisely the predicament.
For the longest time, the bamboo plant has played the role of the supporting lead, grasped firmly in the hands of the world’s favourite bumbling bear. But while most people see it as a form of sustenance, the properties of bamboo transcend being just a tasty snack. Bamboo, as a resource, has been underutilised over the years, and its potential, untapped. However, whether the panda population is in approval of this move or not, the good news is that bamboo is slowly starting to hold its own in the world today.
What’s the big deal about bamboo anyway?
Today, more than 2 billion hectares (nearly 5 billion acres) of deforested and degraded land lie vacant, waiting for human intervention to restore and rejuvenate it.
If you’ve read between the lines, you’ll know that this land has lost most of its innate essence. The natural biome in these regions will never be the same, due to the toxic pollution levels that led to the collapsed ecosystems in the first place. Even though the prospects may be bleak, not all hope needs to be lost.
Enter the feisty bamboo.
Not only is this plant resilient and adaptable, it can actually restore land. Bamboo species have the unique characteristics of being quick to grow and having extensive root systems, a duo of qualities that can reduce erosion, stabilise slopes, absorb heavy metals, create shade, harbour wildlife, recycle carbon dioxide and clean the air. Talk about an unassuming overachiever.
So, however dismal a state they’re in, these lands do have the ability to recover and regain ecological functionality, a situation in which bamboo species play quite an important role. What’s more, planting and managing sustainable bamboo forests allows for multiple social benefits including increased rural development, agroforestry products, and climate mitigation.
The clincher? Bamboos are natural flora in temperate, tropical, and subtropical parts of the globe, native on every continent except Europe and Antarctica. If the math works out right, the latest estimate is that there could potentially be around 50 million hectares of bamboo around the world right now.
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We don’t have anything more to say right now, except:
Bamboo: 3
Humanity: *still reeling from this sneak attack*
Why we chose bamboo.
In case it wasn’t evident from the get-go, bamboo is the environment’s poster child. But beyond its restorative capacities, bamboo fibre, in particular, is every sanitary napkin manufacturer’s dream material. To be more precise, manufacturers in the sustainable sphere.
In a world filled with itchy, rash-filled sanitary pads, bamboo fibre pads are like a breath of fresh hair. Imbibed with all of bamboo’s intrinsic properties, bamboo fibre pads, to begin with, are more absorbent than conventional wood pulp. Secondly, it economises the use of wood, and third, it’s your compost pit’s best friend.
Talking about best friends, sanitary pads made from bamboo fibre could be yours as well (especially if you want out of the horrible sanitary napkin experiences that usually accompany your period).
Oh, and if we’re still keeping score:
Bamboo: 8
Humanity: *continues to be in a thorough state of shock*
The bottomline.
So bamboo is clearly here to stay, and the world is waking up to this. As more technologies and innovations depict bamboo utilizations to more segments of contemporary audiences, more markets are seeing the positives that bamboo can bring to the table. While organisations like the World Bamboo Organisation still fight the fight to ensure bamboo utilisation and moreover, planting, stays on schedule, we join the ranks of companies that have been able to bring their visions to life because of this resilient plant.
