Our bamboo sunglasses and bamboo watches are both sustainable and environmentally friendly products and we’d like to explain why in a bit more detail below.
Bamboo has at times been touted as being the world’s most renewable material, however we are not here to make such bold claims. We hope that the following article will give you a general overview regarding the sustainability of bamboo including what we at Wear Panda UK are doing to ensure that we stay on the right side of “ethical sustainable fashion”.
With the rise of the conscious consumer and sustainable movement at large, bamboo has become an increasingly popular resource. Whilst it is technically a type of grass growing naturally in tropical environments, it is perceived to be one of the quickest growing types of wood on the planet, thus making it highly sustainable.
Bamboo has a wide variety of uses and its benefits are aplenty. For one it is a natural anti-bacterial material but who has ever had to worry about their sunglasses or watch potentially making them sick? Read our Hypoallergenic Eyewear and Watches article for a bit more on that topic... pretty legit stuff!
Some other facts pertaining to the sustainability of bamboo (yes, we counted the one above) are listed below:
- It is water resistant, making it a better choice than “other types of wood”, which may stain or deteriorate when they come in contact with any type of moisture.
- It is an extremely durable material, that is very lightweight yet robust, making for the perfect pair of sunnies or watch.
- It can be grown naturally without the need of chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
- It does not require irrigation.
- Bamboo very rarely needs replanting, and when cut most species can grow back in 3 – 5 years.
- It is a brilliant soil erosion inhibitor.
- It can grow in many different environments.
- Its production into fibres has less of an impact on the environment as compared to other forms of fibre such as synthetics.
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Yet, too much of anything is good for nothing, and with the increasing lucrativeness of bamboo, some farmers have resorted to using chemical fertilisers to boost their yields, which has an environmental cost. Others have gone to the extent of clearing natural forestland for farmland so that they can grow more bamboo, which is counterproductive to the sustainable mantra.
At Wear Panda UK we are aware of this darker side of the trade and do our utmost to ensure that our suppliers and sources adhere to certain environmental guidelines and standards regarding the natural growth of bamboo. Additionally one of our primary goals is to not exacerbate the endangerment of pandas, hence the reference to the beloved animal in our company name Wear Panda. Our commitment to this cause is evidenced in our collaboration with K&K Labs; a company that makes beautiful silk scarves that are designed to raise awareness for endangered animals such as pandas. More information on this can be found here.
Look Good. Do Good. Wear Panda.
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