Multiple Uses of Bamboo - New Developments in Biodegradable & Natural Bamboo Baby Wipes by Bum Boosa
During the many environmental activist efforts in the 70's, a thought-provoking quote came to the forefront, "For what does it avail to save the tiger if you cannot save the jungle.
" That line represented a profound epiphany for many as so much intense energy was being focused on single environmental objectives which were, in fact, linked to bigger problems.
What was the point of saving the whales, for example, if the ocean was not a healthy environment for them? The answer to that question took root as the next big environmental movement - "clean up our own back yard first!" Many of us had hoped that this wave of individual responsibility would be carried forward.
This call to action has prompted us to scrutinize, as we should, our "consumer life" which is one of the most significant ways that we impact our world.
After years of education and bleak news about the environment, many of us are beginning to truly evaluate the intention, action, and sincerity of those who create the products we habitually buy, which are often mass produced goods.
When examining the topic of mass produced goods, one is quick to consider China and the major role it has with merchandise trade around the world.
Since it began trading heavily with the west, China has been given (and often earned) a bad reputation for its manufacturing and industrial practices.
It may come as a surprise, however, as we look for greener ways of manufacturing widespread products, that it is quite possible that China is the leading contributor of one of the most useful and environmentally beneficial manufacturing materials: bamboo.
Bamboo could be the answer to many of our considerable environmental issues when it comes to farming, processing, and post-consumer disposal.
We are witnessing the birth of a new generation of material and bamboo is on center stage.
Shopping bags, socks, baby wipes, clothing, bed linens and home décor.
While bamboo has long been known for products such as flooring, window treatments, building materials, and much more, the softer side of bamboo is storming the textile industry.
With its hollow fiber and round, smooth texture, the fiber that is produced from Moso* bamboo is soft and pleasing to those wearing it as a clothing option, cloth baby wipes, cloth diapers, or using it in other non-woven fiber products such as feminine napkins, disposable baby wipes, paper towels, and more.
Few raw materials have the potential for true sustainable production and consumption as bamboo.
Botanically categorized as a grass and not a tree, bamboo is possibly the planet's most sustainable resource.
Bamboo is the fastest growing grass and can shoot up a yard or more a day, making it an endurable natural resource.
Bamboo reaches maturity quickly and is ready for harvesting in 2-4 years.
Trees require much more time to mature, often as many as 50 years.
"But I thought organic cotton was the most environmentally friendly choice in fabric!" This is a common misconception that advertisers are encouraging heavily in our culture.
It is indeed a natural product making it a wiser choice than petroleum-based nylon or polyester.
However, the farming and processing of non-organic cotton is incredibly unnatural and wasteful.
The cotton used to make one t-shirt is an example of how detrimental cotton can be.
It requires 5,285 gallons of water to produce the cotton for one t-shirt.
That's nearly enough water to fill a large swimming pool! One acre of cotton can use approximately 14lbs of pesticides which often carry 5 of the top 9 cancer-causing chemicals.
And cotton impacts the land in ways we rarely consider - it fragments habitat, destroys soil fertility, and causes pesticides and chemicals to be passed through the eco-system.
Organic cotton, while a better choice than non-organic cotton, still uses mass amounts of water and only uses 40% of the plant for the production of textiles.
With that in mind, probably more than a few of us are looking at our t-shirt collection remorsefully.
"I already use biodegradable toilet tissue and paper towels!" Chances are that the biodegradable non-woven fiber products that you are using, the ones with bright green logos that speak to your environmental conscience, are made from tree pulp.
Vast areas of forest have been devastated across North America to make non-woven fiber products using tree pulp.
The bottom line is that if you see a bamboo alternative, it may be a better choice for a variety of reasons.
Bamboo may be a better choice because it does not require pesticides because of its inherent resistance to pests, a property commonly called "bamboo kun".
Bamboo also has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties (properties which several scientific studies have concluded continue to exist to certain levels in processed bamboo textiles).
Bamboo crops do not require irrigation since rain water is sufficient to sustain the plant, and it is grown in areas where other crops would not typically survive which is primarily on family farms.
Bamboo has also captured the attention of environmentalists because of its ability to take in 5 times as much green house gas and produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
What is most amazing about bamboo is that it does not require replanting after harvesting because its vast root network continually sprouts new shoots at an incredible rate, pulling in sunlight and greenhouse gases and converting them to new green growth.
Bamboo provides the critical element in the balance of oxygen/carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and is an atmospheric and soil purifier; a truly phyto-regenerating plant that has many healing benefits for the biosphere.
More textile uses for bamboo are on the horizon and the possibilities are limitless.
However, it requires that companies with a conscience devote time, resources, and money to developing products that will change the world.
One such company is making a splash on the scene these days both for its products and its commitment to the environment - Bum Boosa(TM) Bamboo Baby Products.
The folks at Bum Boosa(TM) have designed a baby wipe that is made of 100% bamboo fiber and is therefore truly biodegradable and flushable under certain conditions.
Add their patent-pending, all-natural solution including organic aloe vera, lavender and sweet orange essential oils, and Vitamin E, and suddenly one of the products that has been clogging both landfills and septic systems is now truly earth-friendly while keeping infants' sensitive skin in mind.
They have taken their business model one step further and are committed to reversing deforestation by planting enough trees with Trees for the Future to offset more than 100% of their carbon emissions and also help replant trees in deforested areas around the globe.
Companies like Bum Boosa(TM) often have little choice in where the material for their products comes from because China produces roughly 90% of the worlds bamboo used for manufacturing.
This is because the Moso bamboo used for manufacturing most products is very prevalent in that part of the world.
However, committed companies can do what Bum Boosa(TM) has chosen to do - offset more than 100% of their carbon emissions from the shipping of products from China to the United States by planting trees or participating in other such programs.
Many other businesses are exploring eco-friendly bamboo options as well including Eco-Designz, parent company of Bamboo Clothes - a company creating clothing and accessories from bamboo.
Eco-Designz aspires to join the growing movement toward producing and making goods available to the public that are sustainable and which have the least impact on our delicate ecosystems.
It isn't hard to find clothing, bed linens, and more on the internet these days.
It just takes a committed consumer to make the effort.
Consumers can impact the business of bamboo production in another important way as well.
They can demand environmentally-friendly processing which will help guide the current practices of processing plants which are typically made in China.
It is important to note that the process used in bamboo isn't free of harmful practices.
Currently chemicals are used to treat the pulp and though they are typically in a closed-loop processing center (chemicals are re-used, not drained into the earth) they aren't eco friendly.
However there is a process that doesn't use chemicals and relies on mechanical pulping and the use of enzymes to process the bamboo.
Unfortunately, the process is costly and therefore only about 10% of bamboo is processed in this manner.
While there may not be a perfect process, this is one that will dramatically improve the eco-friendliness of bamboo processing.
It just requires companies and consumers to push China to shift to the more environmentally-friendly process.
While there is yet to be a "perfect solution" to the many environmental issues throughout the world, important efforts are being made to support environmentally-friendly products and practices across the manufacturing landscape.
Every so often, a significant shift happens in our world and bamboo could be the leader in this next revolution.
* Moso Bamboo's strength, flexibility, and ready availability have made it a dominant material throughout much of the world for centuries.
The possible uses of Moso bamboo seems endless, including textiles, fencing, furniture, food, construction material, paper, irrigation, medicine, musical instruments, beer, even diesel fuel.
It also plays a very important role for the ecological environment.
" That line represented a profound epiphany for many as so much intense energy was being focused on single environmental objectives which were, in fact, linked to bigger problems.
What was the point of saving the whales, for example, if the ocean was not a healthy environment for them? The answer to that question took root as the next big environmental movement - "clean up our own back yard first!" Many of us had hoped that this wave of individual responsibility would be carried forward.
This call to action has prompted us to scrutinize, as we should, our "consumer life" which is one of the most significant ways that we impact our world.
After years of education and bleak news about the environment, many of us are beginning to truly evaluate the intention, action, and sincerity of those who create the products we habitually buy, which are often mass produced goods.
When examining the topic of mass produced goods, one is quick to consider China and the major role it has with merchandise trade around the world.
Since it began trading heavily with the west, China has been given (and often earned) a bad reputation for its manufacturing and industrial practices.
It may come as a surprise, however, as we look for greener ways of manufacturing widespread products, that it is quite possible that China is the leading contributor of one of the most useful and environmentally beneficial manufacturing materials: bamboo.
Bamboo could be the answer to many of our considerable environmental issues when it comes to farming, processing, and post-consumer disposal.
We are witnessing the birth of a new generation of material and bamboo is on center stage.
Shopping bags, socks, baby wipes, clothing, bed linens and home décor.
While bamboo has long been known for products such as flooring, window treatments, building materials, and much more, the softer side of bamboo is storming the textile industry.
With its hollow fiber and round, smooth texture, the fiber that is produced from Moso* bamboo is soft and pleasing to those wearing it as a clothing option, cloth baby wipes, cloth diapers, or using it in other non-woven fiber products such as feminine napkins, disposable baby wipes, paper towels, and more.
Few raw materials have the potential for true sustainable production and consumption as bamboo.
Botanically categorized as a grass and not a tree, bamboo is possibly the planet's most sustainable resource.
Bamboo is the fastest growing grass and can shoot up a yard or more a day, making it an endurable natural resource.
Bamboo reaches maturity quickly and is ready for harvesting in 2-4 years.
Trees require much more time to mature, often as many as 50 years.
"But I thought organic cotton was the most environmentally friendly choice in fabric!" This is a common misconception that advertisers are encouraging heavily in our culture.
It is indeed a natural product making it a wiser choice than petroleum-based nylon or polyester.
However, the farming and processing of non-organic cotton is incredibly unnatural and wasteful.
The cotton used to make one t-shirt is an example of how detrimental cotton can be.
It requires 5,285 gallons of water to produce the cotton for one t-shirt.
That's nearly enough water to fill a large swimming pool! One acre of cotton can use approximately 14lbs of pesticides which often carry 5 of the top 9 cancer-causing chemicals.
And cotton impacts the land in ways we rarely consider - it fragments habitat, destroys soil fertility, and causes pesticides and chemicals to be passed through the eco-system.
Organic cotton, while a better choice than non-organic cotton, still uses mass amounts of water and only uses 40% of the plant for the production of textiles.
With that in mind, probably more than a few of us are looking at our t-shirt collection remorsefully.
"I already use biodegradable toilet tissue and paper towels!" Chances are that the biodegradable non-woven fiber products that you are using, the ones with bright green logos that speak to your environmental conscience, are made from tree pulp.
Vast areas of forest have been devastated across North America to make non-woven fiber products using tree pulp.
The bottom line is that if you see a bamboo alternative, it may be a better choice for a variety of reasons.
Bamboo may be a better choice because it does not require pesticides because of its inherent resistance to pests, a property commonly called "bamboo kun".
Bamboo also has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties (properties which several scientific studies have concluded continue to exist to certain levels in processed bamboo textiles).
Bamboo crops do not require irrigation since rain water is sufficient to sustain the plant, and it is grown in areas where other crops would not typically survive which is primarily on family farms.
Bamboo has also captured the attention of environmentalists because of its ability to take in 5 times as much green house gas and produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
What is most amazing about bamboo is that it does not require replanting after harvesting because its vast root network continually sprouts new shoots at an incredible rate, pulling in sunlight and greenhouse gases and converting them to new green growth.
Bamboo provides the critical element in the balance of oxygen/carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and is an atmospheric and soil purifier; a truly phyto-regenerating plant that has many healing benefits for the biosphere.
More textile uses for bamboo are on the horizon and the possibilities are limitless.
However, it requires that companies with a conscience devote time, resources, and money to developing products that will change the world.
One such company is making a splash on the scene these days both for its products and its commitment to the environment - Bum Boosa(TM) Bamboo Baby Products.
The folks at Bum Boosa(TM) have designed a baby wipe that is made of 100% bamboo fiber and is therefore truly biodegradable and flushable under certain conditions.
Add their patent-pending, all-natural solution including organic aloe vera, lavender and sweet orange essential oils, and Vitamin E, and suddenly one of the products that has been clogging both landfills and septic systems is now truly earth-friendly while keeping infants' sensitive skin in mind.
They have taken their business model one step further and are committed to reversing deforestation by planting enough trees with Trees for the Future to offset more than 100% of their carbon emissions and also help replant trees in deforested areas around the globe.
Companies like Bum Boosa(TM) often have little choice in where the material for their products comes from because China produces roughly 90% of the worlds bamboo used for manufacturing.
This is because the Moso bamboo used for manufacturing most products is very prevalent in that part of the world.
However, committed companies can do what Bum Boosa(TM) has chosen to do - offset more than 100% of their carbon emissions from the shipping of products from China to the United States by planting trees or participating in other such programs.
Many other businesses are exploring eco-friendly bamboo options as well including Eco-Designz, parent company of Bamboo Clothes - a company creating clothing and accessories from bamboo.
Eco-Designz aspires to join the growing movement toward producing and making goods available to the public that are sustainable and which have the least impact on our delicate ecosystems.
It isn't hard to find clothing, bed linens, and more on the internet these days.
It just takes a committed consumer to make the effort.
Consumers can impact the business of bamboo production in another important way as well.
They can demand environmentally-friendly processing which will help guide the current practices of processing plants which are typically made in China.
It is important to note that the process used in bamboo isn't free of harmful practices.
Currently chemicals are used to treat the pulp and though they are typically in a closed-loop processing center (chemicals are re-used, not drained into the earth) they aren't eco friendly.
However there is a process that doesn't use chemicals and relies on mechanical pulping and the use of enzymes to process the bamboo.
Unfortunately, the process is costly and therefore only about 10% of bamboo is processed in this manner.
While there may not be a perfect process, this is one that will dramatically improve the eco-friendliness of bamboo processing.
It just requires companies and consumers to push China to shift to the more environmentally-friendly process.
While there is yet to be a "perfect solution" to the many environmental issues throughout the world, important efforts are being made to support environmentally-friendly products and practices across the manufacturing landscape.
Every so often, a significant shift happens in our world and bamboo could be the leader in this next revolution.
* Moso Bamboo's strength, flexibility, and ready availability have made it a dominant material throughout much of the world for centuries.
The possible uses of Moso bamboo seems endless, including textiles, fencing, furniture, food, construction material, paper, irrigation, medicine, musical instruments, beer, even diesel fuel.
It also plays a very important role for the ecological environment.
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