Is Bamboo Eco-Friendly?

One materials that is too often associated with the term “eco-friendly” is bamboo.

But why is bamboo eco-friendly? Sure it is a source for an eco-friendly fabric and other planet-friendly products, but is that about it?

As it turns out, there are quite a lot of reasons why bamboo is eco friendly, some of which you might be hearing for the first time on this article.

So without delays, below are twelve reasons that makes bamboo eco-friendly.

1. Bamboo is a clean crop to cultivate

The first reason why bamboo is eco-friendly is because it is very easy to grow.

As you might already know, bamboo is a type of grass, so it can survive on almost all kinds of soil.

There’s no need to destroy natural habitats or clear forest areas with rich soil to plant bamboo.

Bamboo also doesn’t require plenty of water. So even in drier lands, bamboo farms can thrive even without water irrigation systems.

But it gets better.

Unlike other crops that people cultivate for personal or commercial use, growing bamboo doesn’t need much care or attention.

For instance, one doesn’t need machines to plow the fields or clear weeds to plant bamboo. Hence, no fossil fuel burning is necessary.

Furthermore, bamboo doesn’t need fertilizers. Many plant fertilizers today contain chemicals and petroleum-based products that can pollute the environment.

2. Bamboos are sustainable and fast growing plants

Did you know that the Guinness World Record holder for the fastest growing plant is a species of bamboo?

In general, bamboos are among the fastest-growing plants globally, which makes it a highly sustainable raw material.

For example, you can harvest bamboo in just 3 to 5 years.

Compare that to harvesting timber from a tree, which you can only do sometime in 35 to 45 years.

So even if there is a high demand for bamboo, the plant can replenish itself fast enough that deforestation is less likely. And we don’t need to tell you how harmful deforestation is to our planet.

Another thing that makes bamboo a highly renewable and sustainable material is, you don’t have to replant bamboo after harvesting it. It will regrow.

Moreover, harvesting bamboo doesn’t cause soil erosion and nutrient cycling disturbance in the soil.

3. You can harvest bamboo without heavy machinery

Harvesting bamboo is usually done by manual labor and requires only simple sharp tools like a saw, a small axe, or bolo.

No fossil-fueled machines are needed to harvest bamboo in most cases.

Moreover, bamboo is not very heavy, so transporting it leaves lesser carbon footprint.

In remote areas, bamboos are even transported using farm animals like cows or horses.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for materials like timber or cotton, which often require big hauling trucks and heavy machinery.

4. Have you heard of “Bamboo Kun?”

We bet you already heard that bamboo has a natural antibacterial property, often referred to as “bamboo Kun.”

Bamboo Kun gives bamboo the ability to fight off pests, bugs, and bacteria naturally.

This is why bamboos can survive in the wild without the aid of insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides made of chemicals that might harm the environment.

5. Bamboo is a 100% biodegradable material

Bamboo, like all-natural plants, is biodegradable. This doesn’t need much explanation.

And products made of bamboo won’t stay in landfills for thousands of years (unlike plastic) after being thrown away.

Bamboo can also be recycled, repurpose, reused, or put into the compost.

6. Bamboo greatly reduces greenhouse gases (GHG)

One obvious reason that makes bamboo eco-friendly is that it helps absorb harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and produces clean, breathable oxygen.

Carbon dioxide is one of the most common greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and global warming.

And there’s more!

A bamboo forest can produce up to 35% more oxygen than a tree forest of the same mass.

7. Bamboo is a great alternative to plastic

Pollution from plastic waste is becoming a significant issue of our time, and there’s no doubt that eco-friendly alternatives like bamboo products can help save our planet.

Bamboo products are excellent replacements for single-use plastic products that are quickly piling up in landfills and the ocean.

A wide variety of bamboo products are now circulating the market, and they are becoming more popular each passing day for this apparent reason.

For example, bamboo straws, toothbrushes, apparels, water bottles, bed sheets, combs, and others are slowly replacing common plastic products.

In general, bamboo products are biodegradable, sustainable, and have a lesser negative impact on the environment.

8. Bamboo fabric is a more sustainable material than cotton

Overall, bamboo fabric emerged as a more eco-friendly alternative to cotton.

Here’s why:

Bamboo is much easier to grow and cultivate than cotton.
It doesn’t need as much water as cotton to survive.
The cotton industry is responsible for more than 10% of pesticide consumption and about 25% of the world’s insecticide usage. Chemicals from pesticides and insecticides can harm the environment.

Harvesting bamboo doesn’t kill the plant, nor uprooting is required.
It can be harvested using minimal machinery that requires fossil-fuels to operate.

However, not all bamboo fabrics is created equal, nor all of them are eco-friendly because some of them undergo dirty manufacturing processes.

Most “eco-friendly” bamboo labels you see on the market lacks integrity.

9. Bamboo can substitute wood as a crafting material

Ever wonder why more and more wood products are slowly getting replaced by bamboo?

It’s not just toilet paper, but even kitchen utensils, cutleries, packaging, furniture, and more.

When compared to wood (or timber), bamboos are easier to grow and take a shorter time to harvest.

When appropriately harvested, one bamboo plant can become a timber source indefinitely, while you can only cut a tree once.

Bamboo is also a cheaper raw material than wood.

10. Bamboo can help provide food

Bamboo shoots can be consumed by humans and can be used for livestock.

Instead of always relying on processed foods, a meal from bamboo can help you save money and the environment.

11. Bamboo is a sustainable source of building materials

Bamboo is a durable and sturdy material.

In fact, the engineering community found that bamboo is stronger than steel in terms of tensile strength (resistance of materials to breaking under tension).

For a long time, people are using bamboo as a cheap and eco-friendly alternative to timber and concrete for reinforcements in buildings and construction sites.

12. Bamboo can help create jobs

Finally, the bamboo industry helps provide economic growth in less developed regions.

Now, you might be wondering: How does this makes bamboo eco-friendly?

People with no jobs are given means of income by bamboo manufacturing companies and are encouraged to plant bamboo to earn money.

The same people might have gotten involved in livelihoods that damage the environment to make both ends meet.

Examples are dynamite fishing or cutting trees illegally in the forest to sell timber.

Conclusion

Can bamboo save the planet? Only time will tell.

But is bamboo eco-friendly? We believe so for the following reasons:

Bamboos are easy to grow and don’t need fertilizers
It is a sustainable raw material
Harvesting bamboo doesn’t involve heavy machinery

Bamboo doesn’t require pesticides or insecticides
It is biodegradable
Bamboo helps reduce greenhouse gases (GHG)

It is an excellent alternative to plastic
Bamboo is more eco-friendly than cotton
It is a more sustainable material than wood

The bamboo plant offers plenty of benefits to human beings and the environment alike

And while it’s true that this plant might not check all the eco-friendly boxes, there’s no doubt that the benefits bamboo offers to the environment makes it worthy an eco-friendly title.

But we would like to hear from you.

In considering all the pros and cons, is bamboo eco-friendly?

Is Bamboo Eco-Friendly? 12 Bamboo-zling Facts Revealed!