Bamboozled
Paul Klymenko, director of Planet Ark, believe that one of the ways to live more 'lightly' on the earth is to look for sustainable homewares such as bamboo.
What's versatile, lightweight, yet strong and durable, and also a renewable resource? Answer: bamboo. The Chinese cottoned on to this long ago and use it for everything from chopsticks and scaffolding to flooring and furniture. Now bamboo is being used for homewares that are 100 per cent biodegradable and manufactured without pollutants. Bambooware is plates, bowls, cutlery and cups made out of reconstituted bamboo that is a sustainable, inexpensive alternative to plastic. Unbelievably, it's also reusable and even dishwasher-friendly!
Paul says bamboo is popular for flooring and building as it is a renewable resource. "It's a fast-growing grass," he states, "and it can be harvested three to five years after it's first planted. Unlike a tree, you can keep cutting it and it won't need replanting. It just grows back from the stem, making it a very 'renewable'."
Bamboo is also a great choice for homewares as it is biodegradable. "Compared to a non-reusable substance such as plastic, bamboo is a positive resource," says Paul, "at the end of its life span, it breaks down within a year or so like other woody materials, so it fits in with the cycle of nature."
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