Carland sees bamboo as a sustainably harvested product that is a good alternative to plastic and metals, and that’s what makes it attractive to consumers. For example, one of the least sustainable products made is the plastic bottle used for


soft drinks


and water. As consumers turn to a more sustainable alternative– reusable bottles– the Bamboo Bottle Company took it one step further. “We use bamboo as a protective


sleeve for our glass bottles,” says Carland. “We want to be good stewards of the earth and that’s one reason why we chose bamboo.” It is also sleek and durable, stylish and sensible, which is exactly what consumers are looking for in green products.


Bamboo primarily grows in Asia, mostly in China. For that reason, Jeff Delkin with bambu decided to set up his business there. “I see bamboo used everywhere and learned about its uses through the locals,” Delkin explains.


His company makes cutting boards and other kitchen


items, using certifi ed organic bamboo. “Since we are here in China, we were able to initiate a certifi cation process for our sources of bamboo,” Delkin explains. “It ensures that our bamboo is grown without pesticides and chemicals. It’s an annual certifi cation done by a group called IMO. We determined early on that this is going to be something we promote and our customers responded to. It’s an extra bit of insurance.”


Delkin works with crafts people—”there’s a lot of handiwork in our products,” he says—before he ships it


stateside.


Shipping bamboo from Asia creates one very large carbon footprint, and it is the primary negative to bamboo’s green properties.


Bambu also offers a disposable bamboo product that is compostable, adding yet one more of bamboo’s green characteristics. “Turning to bamboo products is one small way that people can make an eco-friendly statement,” Delkin says. “We call materials.”


However, Delkin points out that while bamboo is good


for so many things, it isn’t perfect. “Some people have had bad experiences with bamboo,” he says. He blames those bad experiences on manufacturers who want to use young bamboo rather than wait for the bamboo to mature. Sullivan agrees that some manufactures are using the less-than-ideal new growth. “With the rise of bamboo’s popularity, there has been a log jam of companies trying to get bamboo. So rather than waiting, they are turning to new growth,” he says. Another problem


it the poster child of renewable


CORE BAMBOO For more about


certifi cations, read our extended article online at giftshopmag.com.


SERRV GREENRetailerMag.com Winter 2013 n GREENRetailer 153


THREE BY THREE SEATTLE


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