I ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT BAMBOO on my gentlemen’s farm thirty years ago in Leelanau County. I raised ornamental grasses as a hobby and bamboo is classified as a member of the grass family (Poaceae). For the curious, here is a technical link to its taxonomy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo#Taxonomy
My nursery selections included cold-tolerant mountain bamboo varieties native to the Himalayas. I came to know them firsthand in my demonstration plots on the farm. I enjoy watching them grow, and do they ever spread using their underground rhizomes to send up new shoots. As Wikipedia notes, “Their rapid growth and tolerance for marginal land (sandy soil), make bamboo a good candidate for afforestation, carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation.” These desirable attributes have led to more and more use of bamboo worldwide especially in China, India, and Vietnam.
Bamboo use has expanded in the last couple of decades in U.S. markets moving from ornamental plants in our cities' spacious building lobbies to bamboo cutting boards, cutlery, building materials, clothing, etc. Bamboo pulp is also being used as a sustainable alternative to traditional wood pulp in paper and packaging industries. This shift reduces the reliance on timber, helping preserve forests and helping biodiversity.
As consumers become more environmentally conscious, the demand for sustainable products, including those made from bamboo, is on the rise. This shift in consumer preferences is driving the market towards greener alternatives. The bamboo industry in India has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, marking a resurgence driven by sustainability, innovation, and government support. Bamboo is now at the forefront of a green revolution, with various sectors embracing its eco-friendly and versatile properties.
It is also one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, with some species growing up to three feet in a single day. Now for a pleasant surprise, bamboo has expanded into toilet paper—yes, TP and 3-ply at that! That fascinates me and has made me more than curious to give it a try which is in my plans.
My research has unearthed several producers and marketers of toilet paper. I shall order a case of unbleached bamboo toilet paper and give it a try. Their websites have whetted my whistle in investigating their products to see if they make the grade in my bathroom performances.
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Writer’s note: I used AI from Google to research global bamboo markets. I also finally selected Amazon to get my first shipment of toilet paper as I already had other items in my cart. https://www.bamboovision.com/post/the-bamboo-industry-2023
Check back in a month and I’ll report further on my new experience using bamboo toilet paper.
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