Why Bamboo?

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The word bamboo comes from the Malay word Mambu, Malay is the national language of Malaysia and Indonesia. Some claim the original Malayan word was "Bambu", resembling the sound it makes when Bamboo explodes in open fire.

Bamboo belongs to the Bambusoideae subfamily of the perrienial evergreen grass family Poaceae. Of all grass, bamboo is the largest and the only one that can diversify into the forest.

Bamboo occur native on 5 continent, Africa, Asia, South America , North America and Australia. Bamboos grow in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, extending as far as the southern United States and Central China.

With altogether 1575 species in 111 different genera, only 100 are used commercially, of which 20 are identified as priority species for those wishing to start a bamboo plantation.

An extraordinary example of bamboo's resilience is the fact that it was only plant to survive the radiation of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. The incinerating heat destroyed all trees and other plant life, except one bamboo grove. The grove has since been removed, but culms from the grove are preserved at a museum in Hiroshima.

Herbaceous are usually small and resemble grass and are only a few centimeters tall, while woody bamboos (depending on species) can grow up to 30 m tall and 20 cm in diameter, hence the reason they are often confused for being trees. The bamboo species Dendrocalamus sinicus is considered the largest in the world reaching 40 m in height and 30 cm in diameter.

Bottom Line

Over 50% of the United States have banned the use of plastics straws and are looking for a eco-friendly alternative. Bamboo is sturdier than paper straws and the raw materials replenish themselves rapidly; providing less strain on our natural resources.