Posts Tagged ‘bamboo’
Running a business is hard work, but when you have a product you believe in and clientele you can genuinely respect, and who genuinely respect you, then it is truly a labor of love. Even so, it’s very important to make time for diversions. That why I set aside a little time for bamboo haiku, combining two of my favorite asian contributions to civilization.
The multifaceted grass and the 17-syllable poetry seem to go hand-in-hand. They both soothe the soul and inspire the heart, helping to release the mind from the fetters of the daily grind. They take you back to nature and, at their best, they aim to elevate one’s consciousness to a higher plane.
Some prefer chair yoga and micro meditation, but whatever it takes to break up the monotony of the work day and keep your spirit grounded, I say go to it!
And perhaps most important of all, it’s essential to keep a sense of humor in all of your endeavors.
Last night we took the kids down to the beach for an end-of-summer picnic, and picnics always remind me of how much I love my reusable bamboo Spork. So I figured, what better time than now to honor and reflect on one of our all time coolest products.
So simple, so functional, and so aesthetically pleasing, the reusable Spork is the epitome of sustainable simplicity. Crafted from bamboo scraps at the Bambu® factory where so many of our bamboo kitchenwares are produced, each Spork rescues a sliver of bamboo from the waste heap, and then, over the course of its long life, goes on to eliminate the need for thousands of disposable plastic utensils. With just a few basic tools, the individual scraps of bamboo are readily shaped into Sporks — no glues or wood stains required.
I always keep a Spork behind my desk here Bambu Batu, and believe it or not I’ve been using the same one for about 5 years now. And the thing is good as new. Whether I’m picking up lunch from one of our cafe neighbors or bringing in some snacks from home, my trustee Spork is always here, ready to get the job done. And it didn’t take long at all to train the cafe staff NOT to put the usual plastic forks and spoons into my take-out lunch.
If you need to improve your workplace utensils, or want to be prepared on your next picnic, road trip, or backpacking excursion, we have several options to meet your needs. For the serious Spork enthusiast, check out the Spork n Cork (a bamboo Spork in a stylish cork carrying case). Or step it up a notch with the To-Go Ware utensil set, comes complete with bamboo fork, spoon, knife and chopsticks, in a handy case with velcro closure and carabiner clip.
To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set
Bamboo Spork and cork carrying case
Lush, green, and hardy, bamboo sets the stage for the perfect garden getaway. When planted in thickets, the grass forms walls that provide privacy and quiet. When in clumps, bamboo is an excellent highlight to just about any backyard.
You already know who’s got the best selection of bamboo clothing and textiles on the planet, but Paso Bamboo Farm and Nursery is the only place on the Central Coast where you will find timber and exotic bamboos ready to be planted in your yard! The Nursery carries thirteen different species that tolerate extreme temperatures and are available in 5, 15, and 25 gallon containers, or can be dug to order. The staff is also able to create bamboo installations for home and business.
In addition to growing the their beautiful specimens of bamboo, the Nursery holds educational talks throughout the county. The owners love to inform the public as to the remarkable qualities of the plant. Easy to maintain, bamboo is an attractive way to sequester carbon and filter the air. Able to harvested for building material, craft, or textiles, the giant green stalks are as practical as they are ornamental.
Interested green thumbs are encouraged to visit the Paso Bamboo Farm and Nursery at 5590 North River Road in Paso Robles. For more information, head over to their official site and discover a world of versatile, verdant bamboo!
If bamboo is an environmentally friendly superhero, then cork must be its perfect sidekick. Case in point: the bamboo and cork hybrid cutting board pictured above. Sustainable cork, which is used in the boards, wallets, cases, and containers here at Bambu Batu, is harvested from the bark of the Cork Oak (Quercus suber) which is endemic to Europe and and Northwest Africa. Most of it is grown in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Light, buoyant and flexible, it is also water resistant and easy to clean. The material is composed of suberin, which allows it to be one of the most versatile natural substances in the world. Once the trees reach 25 years of age, the bark is stripped and let to rest for nine years.
All of our cork products hail from the company, Bambu Home. The business was founded as part of an effort to take advantage of bamboo and resources native to China and bring them to the United States in 2003. Bambu Home’s extensive line of bamboo kitchenwares are fashioned from certified organic bamboo, and hand-crafted in accordance with the highest standards of fair labor practices. Praised as the “new bamboo”, cork’s soft stain-resistant nature has made it an attractive choice to accompany the elegant bamboo products. Bambu Home uses cork that is EU and US CPSC-compliant and machine-washable, and has no dyes, heavy metals, phthalates or PVC. We are proud to carry such an attractive, green selection of bamboo and cork here at Bambu Batu!
In between the spiritual and physical realm walks the shaman, a figure that is able to communicate with both the material and ethereal. The figure of the ban jhankri, or “forest shaman”, comes from Nepal. Described by the indigenous folk as small, golden and hairy, they are master healers and those who chose human shamans to continue their work. Novices are typically young males who are then abducted to live and study in caves. They are later returned to their communities, hours or days after their disappearance. After their kidnapping, the acolytes find a human guru who helps them to initiate trances and communication with the ban jhankri.
The faces of the ban jhankri are carved out of the base of bamboo stalks where the “hair” is represented by the roots. Many of these representations are now being produced for sale in Thailand where artisans hand-carve the visages of the forest spirits. Said to be good luck and excellent feng shui, the rich earth tones and peaceful expressions bring a little of nature’s energy into the home.
Toyota was one of the first major manufacturers to embrace hybrid technology with their well-known Prius model. Now they are taking the idea of sustainability and green engineering one step further with the introduction of their ME.WE concept car. The sporty, compact vehicle uses a tubular aluminum frame and its panels are composed of polypropylene plastic. The body is completely recyclable, and at 1,653 lbs, very lightweight. The design allows the panels to turn the car from a sedan into a convertible, and an extendable rear deck can transform the configuration into a tiny pickup truck. The all-electric car is powered by four in-wheel motors and a lithium-ion battery mounted under the floor.
What really gets our knocks our viscose socks off is that almost the entire interior is covered in silky soft bamboo! In collaboration with French designer Jean Marie-Massaud, the concept was revealed at a Paris event this week. Sadly, the maker has no intention of mass-producing the car. OK fine, but if you’re feeling generous, I know a hard-working bamboo shopkeeper in San Luis Obispo who could use a company car…
After a long day in the salt mines, it is a great relief to return to a warm, comfortable, and beautiful living space. To keep your eyes happy, body relaxed, and eyes excited, take a look at New York-based designer Meredith Goodwin’s amazing bamboo furniture! The KURV coffee table (pictured above) is a modernist appointment that is incredibly held together by tension alone. The body is composed of bamboo plywood that is certified under the 6.0 Section of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Materials and Resource Point System. Designed with only a few connections, the KURV is available to be ordered and shipped flat, and can be easily assembled at home.
Equally beautiful is Goodwin’s HALO LED-lit dining room table. Also constructed using bamboo, the entire piece is lit by small, energy-efficient bulbs to create a little bit of modernist mood lighting for your living room. Like the KURV, all pieces arrive flat-packed, ready to be assembled for a much more environmentally friendly piece than you could find at particle-board loving IKEA.
Nothing says ‘relaxation’ like a good, long soak in a bathtub. Those looking for a little sustainable serenity may enjoy the Air Bubble Massage Bathtub from Xianning Yanshan Bamboo Industry, Co. Ltd. Equipped with a pillow, faucet, hand shower, jets, massage device, and chair, the luxurious tub is made completely out of water-tight bamboo. Sustainable and possessing a low-carbon footprint, the hearty grass makes a warm, attractive alternative to porcelain or tile. The surface is treated with a nanometer level oxide compound material that deodorizes, sterilizes, and releases anions into the air. Adhering to the standards of the Ergonomics Association, the tubs also come in barrel and portable models.
Planting and harvesting bamboo is not only good for the environment, but can also be beneficial to the community that supports its cultivation. Founded in 2003, the Whispering Winds Bamboo Cooperative is a biodynamic and sustainable bamboo nursery on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Maui. Certified organic by Stellar Certification Services, the company is home to a number of bamboo species as well as tropical hardwood. They offer a range of timber bamboo including black bamboo in diameters from one to four inches. A plant nursery grows hedging bamboos and landscape vegetation for the garden. Whispering Winds also sells kit structures that use bamboo to create sheds, shade structures, carports, caddies, and even housing for bee hives.
As a result of the Ola Honua mission, the employees at Whispering Winds Bamboo Cooperative purchased the business from the original owners, turning it into a cooperative. Apprenticeships are offered on site, and the employees are all dedicated to replanting and restoring native flora on the plantation. With the notions of community engagement and social responsibility in mind, Whispering Winds provides its workers with fair wages as well as affordable housing for the people of Kipahulu.
There are plenty of reasons to opt for natural, organic fibers. Not only are they better for human health, but they are less harmful to the environment. In addition to using less pesticides and chemical fertilizers, the material itself is able to break down safely after being washed or discarded. Synthetics, on the other hand, persist and accumulate long after they enter our landfills and ecosystems.
A report published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology traced “microplastic” marine pollution from 18 beaches across the globe, and found that every one of the samples was contaminated. When looking at the total amount of plastic pollution, nearly 80% was made up from smaller bits of plastic, much of it coming from polyester, acrylic, and nylon fibers. The data also showed that the highest concentrations of contamination was close to large urban centers. An experiment conducted by co-author of the report, Dr. Mark Browne from UCSB and colleague Prof Richard Thompson from The University of Plymouth in the UK found that washing machines extracted an average of 1,900 fibers per garment every washing cycle.
Microplastic is a major concern to the health of marine animals, who can ingest the compounds, accumulate in their cells, and make its way through the food chain. Smaller than 1mm, they move through the environment quickly and could potentially be harmful to humans. Clothing fibers are just one of many sources of these contaminants, with other major contributors including disintegrating trash, cleaning agents, cosmetics, and raw plastic pellets used to make everyday objects. While most of us are aware that it is important to recycle and ensure that our garbage does not make its way into the oceans, we must also know be conscious of what we wear and how we launder our garments. Just another good reason to go natural when purchasing apparel!
