Bamboo - A Renewable Resource

The bamboo that is grown and harvested for all fiber production is called Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens or by its common name, Moso bamboo. Moso bamboo has thick culms that are wide in circumference and grow extremely tall. Moso bamboo grows up to a foot per day and is harvested in 2-3 years. Farmers do not need to replant it after it is harvested due to the prolific and deep root system. This eliminates an entire step with gas guzzling tractors which is a major environmental benefit. No fertilizers, insecticides or pesticides are required in the growth process, and no irrigation is needed. Additionally, bamboo plantations are large “factories” for photosynthesis that reduce greenhouse gases. Moso bamboo is not consumed by Panda Bears. There are over 1,000 species of bamboo worldwide and this is not the variety that Panda consume.

Bamboo is one of the oldest and hardiest grasses on the planet for which the surface has only been scratched in terms of its utilization. As traditional woods for tree-pulp rayon textiles and tree-pulp disposable products become less available and more expensive, the demand for manufactured bamboo will increase exponentially.

We are aware of the “bamboo debate” where some environmentalists have argued that bamboo textiles are not environmentally-friendly because of the way they are processed. Our response is that there is no such thing as a mass produced fiber or fabric available for consumption that will be 100% environmentally benign. Not any kind. But we also cannot allow more non-biodegradable materials to be piled up in landfills and more trees to be cut down for our ever-increasing population and their consumer demands.

We also cannot ignore bamboo’s position as an intelligent “greener” choice until we look at how all textiles and disposable non woven products are made. We have done an incredible amount of research, and what we have decided is that replacing our textiles and nonwovens (disposables) with bamboo does have a positive impact on some of the biggest environmental threats that are already at our doorstep or lurk just around the corner. These include the outcomes from water overuse, water pollution, rampant pesticide use, landfills overfilled with synthetic materials, and deforestation. We believe in giving our customers all the information that they need in order to make informed choices. If any of your questions have not been answered below, please feel free to contact us at info@bumboosa.com.

It is significant to note that most of wet wipes on the market today are made with the following:

• 100% synthetic material from petroleum byproducts
• Rayon from 100% virgin tree pulp
or
• A blend of synthetic material from petroleum byproducts and rayon from virgin tree pulp

(Very few are made with conventionally grown cotton.)

Our baby wipes are made from rayon from 100% bamboo that is whitened with hydrogen peroxide, and have a gentle solution and absolutely no harsh chemicals. Rayon from bamboo fibers are cellulose-based and are 100% biodegradable with soil, sunshine and air exposure. We do not recommend flushing our wipes or any wipes. To read our opinion on flushability, click HERE.

Click here to learn more about the entire manufacturing processes for our baby wipes..

Almost all toilet paper on the market today is made from virgin tree pulp or recycled-content tree pulp. It has not been until recently that we are seeing tree-free bathroom tissue emerging. The reason we are seeing an interest in tree-free bathroom tissue is due to the following:

1. It is not in our best interested to continue to use virgin tree pulp for tissue products due to the effects of deforestation and its environmental impact of removing hardwood and softwood trees from their eco-systems.

2. Using recycled-content for bathroom tissue has a dark side that most people are not aware of. When we recycle paper for bathroom tissue, all paper is thrown into a vat to be de-inked and re-pulped. This includes thermal glossy paper that is coated with plastic containing BPAs (bispenol A). While recycling paper is a good thing, it is not necessarily a good thing for toilet paper, because toilet paper is flushed into a wastewater system (private and/or public). BPAs in the tissue then have the potential to build up and contaminate ground water. Dresden University released a study in 2009 that made a connection between recycled content bathroom tissue and the presence of BPAs in tap water. Read the study here.

We decided that bamboo would make an excellent alternative to tree pulp bathroom tissue because the ability of bamboo to grow quickly makes recycling unnecessary and eliminates the problem of BPA contamination. At this time we are unaware of any other company producing bathroom tissue from 100% bamboo.

Our bathroom tissue is created using the thermo-mechanical pulping process (not the chemical pulping process, which is most widely used for making toilet paper). It is whitened using chlorine dioxide, a non-elemental chlorine. (Elemental chlorine is considered to be the most harmful chlorine.) By using Chlorine dioxide, we are able to reduce dioxins emitted by up to 90%. We will continue our search for a manufacturer who is able to use both the thermo-mechanical process and TCF (Totally Chlorine Free). Until that happens, we know we are offering you the most environmentally-friendly option that is currently available to us. Our bathroom tissue has passed tests in the U.S. to determine the absence of the following: 1,4 dioxane, formaldehyde, bispenol- A, and detection of elemental chlorine.

Please click here to learn about the manufacturing processes in more detail for our bamboo bathroom tissue. .