BAMBOO AND SUSTAINABILITY

Bamboo is fast growing, robust, affordable and incredibly low maintenance. It does not need irrigation, pesticides, or additional chemical fertilizers to flourish. Human intervention is not necessary. It grows in a large range of environments and locales, sometimes like a weed. Like trees, it serves as a soil erosion inhibitor; the complex, tangled root system acts as a stabilizer for soil on steep slopes or mountainsides.

Unlike hardwood trees, which are slow-growing and difficult to regrow, bamboo is actually a hardy grass. And it grows like one!

Depending on the species, it grows up to one meter per day and can be harvested every 3 to 5 years. As long as the root system remains intact, the plant does not die when cut. Instead, it will just grow new shoots from the existing root structure. No replantation necessary. This makes it a highly sustainable option that does not damage the soil through continual harvesting and replanting.

There is no need for pesticides, so no harmful toxins find their way into local water sources. It also means that the majority of the consumer products is completely organic. A bamboo straw, toothbrush, fork or cutting board does not leach any chemicals into the food or the body, simply because there are no chemical additives of any kind. And lastly, the production of natural fibers for clothing has a lower impact on the environment than the production of similar synthetic fibers. 

Most importantly, though, Panda's favorite food absorbs and sequesters carbon dioxide while producing impressive amounts of oxygen. A stand of bamboo actually releases 35% more oxygen into the surrounding air than an equivalent stand of trees.