Sustainable Bamboo Cultivation: Many Benefits for our Environment
The best thing about bamboo is that it can be cultivated on a large scale without harming the ecosystem, provided the plant is part of the native flora. It is an evergreen plant belonging to the sweet grass family and does not require the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation for cultivating. Bamboo can be harvested annually without endangering the entire population. The plant regenerates through its underground roots.
Compared to plastic, which takes up to 500 years to decompose, bamboo is biodegradable and can be composted after use. Bamboo plants are four times more effective in purifying the air from carbon dioxide than trees. Another advantage of bamboo is that its strong root system stores water in the soil which protects against erosion. Sustainable Upcycling of plant-based raw Materials can also be done with vegetables, fruits and mushrooms.
Sustainable bamboo cultivation around the world
In various regions of the world sustainable bamboo cultivation is practiced, with certain countries and cultivation methods being particularly noteworthy. These include:
- China: The main export hub for bamboo. Monocultures with low environmental standards predominate here, but there are also cultivation areas in mountainous regions, where bamboo still grows naturally and is harvested by hand by happy farmers.
- Ethiopia: Here bamboo is deliberately planted to combat desertification. This naturally also creates jobs, for example, for the production of bamboo products.
- Latin America: Countries such as Costa Rica and Colombia are also focusing on bamboo cultivation. Mostly here are small farming unities with a focus on environmentally friendly cultivation, ethical working conditions for the farmers and fair distribution.
- Europe: Nowadays Bamboo is also cultivated in European countries in a sustainable way such as France, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands, which avoids long transport routes and creates new jobs.
Sustainable bamboo cultivation: Extremely environmentally friendly dental care
At least 11 million plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every day all over the world. To stop this madness, toothbrushes should ideally be made of materials which are easy to recycle and with a good ecological footprint. Bamboo toothbrushes are ideal in this regard and are fortunately becoming increasingly popular.
In addition to regular bamboo toothbrushes, there are now also electric models. These toothbrushes offer not only benefits for the environment but also for dental health, as bamboo has excellent antibacterial properties. Bamboo naturally kills harmful bacteria in the mouth that otherwise lead to cavities, gum disease, and root inflammation. Even more effective are bamboo toothbrushes with bristles made from castor oil, which also has antibacterial properties.
What you have to consider when buying a bamboo toothbrush
Toothbrushes are one of the main products from bamboo. There are currently many different suppliers of bamboo toothbrushes – with varying quality and production conditions. Make sure the toothbrush is made from sustainable bamboo cultivation and is 100 percent vegan. This means, the brush should be made from plant-based bristles that are completely biodegradable, while pig and plastic bristles don’t belong in our mouth. The entire brush should be made from bamboo, not just the brush head, where the handle is made of wood.
Bambusliebe is a German startup, specialized in the production and distribution of sustainable bamboo products. The company focuses on fair working conditions and high quality. To ensure that no rainforests are cleared for its products, it onlyuses bamboo from specially established farms.
The company collaborates with the organization @plasticfreeplanet to actively contribute to waste reduction. For every gift basket set, one kilogram of plastic waste is removed from the oceans. This commitment demonstrates that Bambusliebe truly takes responsibility for the environment and our earth. Sustainable bamboo cultivation is the future for many more everyday items.
Electrical Bamboo Tootbrushes from Sustainable Bamboo Cultivation
Sustainability doesn’t mean avoiding technology, especially when the product is beneficial to our health, like with electric toothbrushes. For sure it has advantages, when a technical device helps us to take better care of our teeth, ideally those from sustainable bamboo cultivation.
Bamtoo is a startup based in Berlin, which developed electric and sonic bamboo toothbrushes, such as the KOA V2 model, made from robust Moso bamboo. This type of bamboo grows primarily in China and other Asian regions such as Taiwan and Japan. The brush head is made of biodegradable bioplastic made from corn starch, which is more water-resistant than bamboo.
This extends the lifespan of the bamboo toothbrush. The bristles are made from plant-based materials such as castor oil. The company’s mission is also to reduce plastic waste. Part of the profits go to partner companies that remove plastic waste. At the same time, they use the money to support climate projects and have already planted 5,000 mangrove trees in Madagascar.
Medicine from Sustainable Bamboo Cultivation
Bamboo can be cultivated as a medical plant all over the world. Since thousands of years it is used in holistic medical treatments in Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The roots, shoots and seeds have an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, diuretic and detoxifying effect.
Very effective are the dried resins from the trunk of a special bamboo tree (Bambusa arundicea), which is called Vamsalochana. It is indicated in all kind of congestion and excessive mucus in common cold, asthma bronchiale or chronic sinusitis.
