You can imagine that when I started assembling a blog about Rokn Yugen Soul and incorporating bamboo there would be a lot to talk about. Of course, I’ll be getting to my company. But, after much deliberation, I realized that without bamboo and my love for it, my business would be non-existent. So, of course, our very first post will begin with my top reasons to save bamboo.

First off, this was one of the hardest things I’ve tried to narrow down. The more research I did on the importance of bamboo the more reasons I had to save it. I thought about making this a list of ten, or even twenty. But, the fact is starting a company is a challenge and I’m feeling like I want to take on another.

While this list is going to tackle my five favorite reasons, I do want to mention a few honorable mentions:

  • Soil Protection
  • Little waste
  • Absorbs greenhouse gasses (so hard to not have this in the top five)

With those out of the way, here is my list…My Top Five Reasons to Save Bamboo!

1. Renewable Resource

You’ve heard the term renewable resource before. But, what is it? And, why is it so important? A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be replenished fast enough to not be over-harvested or over-used. Essentially, if utilized well the resource will live on indefinitely. Most people will easily be able to identify renewable energy such as wind, water, sunlight, etc. But, when we begin to look at other resources few provide the benefits of bamboo.

Bamboo is considered a natural resource due to how quickly it can be harvested after being planted. Depending on the species you will be looking at one to five years, which is significant considering many harvested trees take decades or longer. With over a million acres per week of the world’s forests being lost to deforestation, bamboo is a formidable alternative to hardwoods and a great way to protect other natural resources without depleting bamboo. But, the big thing here is we need to replant the bamboo for it to be a renewable resource.

2. Amazing Growth Rate

Okay, so I just touched on this, but bamboo’s growth rate really is amazing. There are really two things to the growth rate of bamboo. First is simple the speed which it grows. Again, depending on the species, there are some plants that grow 35” in a single day (Yeah, you read that right). It is known as the fastest growing plant. There are over 1400 species of bamboo, and while they don’t all grow 35” a day, they are all fast growers, reaching peak within five years.

Second, after being harvested the growers don’t need to regrow or plant from a seed. The root system will take care of everything. The plant will begin to grow a new shoot without further planting or cultivation the following spring.

3. Bamboo is Versatile

Bamboo is considered one of the most versatile resources in the world. For starters it can replace nearly any kind of application any other wood can produce. We’re talking paper, building materials, flooring, cutting boards, charcoals and the list goes on – a lot. But, that isn’t all. Bamboo can feed people and animals, build roads, furniture, bridges, scaffolding. It can be used to make diapers, instruments, medicine and even beer. But, of course, we have our personal favorite. Bamboo is an amazing way to create clothing with properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, hypoallergenic and of course, super soft.

4. Does Not Require Pesticides or Herbicides

So, this is what first got me into bamboo. As any parent, we worry about how things such as pesticides affect our children and out home. This is evident by the uptick in organic products available including clothing, lotions, medicines and of course, food. Bamboo is one of the few plants that don’t need the aid of pesticides or herbicides to be protected from insects. Bamboo has its own organic, antifungal and antibacterial agent. It’s extremely rare for bamboo to have problems with insects or to be affected by disease.

5. Economic Development

Among all of the benefits of bamboo, one thing often missed and why I want to highlight it here is that bamboo can provide the safety of economic development especially in less-developed countries. With over 1400 varieties of bamboo, the plant has become adaptable throughout a variety of growing conditions from arid, to wetlands and mountain regions. One of the plagues of mankind is that less-developed countries naturally fall into civil unrest partly due to lack of employment, infrastructure and a sustainable economy. Due to bamboos speed of growth, ability to be grown in several environments, as well as its multi-faceted manufacturing benefits, bamboo can provide jobs and growth in many lesser-developed and impoverished areas of the world.

Rokn Yugen Soul focuses on clothing made of bamboo. But, the more you begin to do your own research and follow us on our adventure the more you will find that bamboo is simply a gift, that like the rest of the world’s resources needs to be protected. To learn more about creating a sustainable world of bamboo visit Sustainable Harvest International.