Bamboo clothing: the pros and cons
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The fastest growing bamboo plant grows at a whopping one meter a day. Beneficial for manufacturers who produce the (supposedly) sustainable bamboo clothing. Clothing made from bamboo is slowly conquering the market for many reasons. For example, it would be fresher, help absorb sweat, provide greater comfort and, importantly, be very durable. But is that really the case?
Growth
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Bamboo is a general name for a group of plants within the grass species. Bamboo consists of long stems that grow straight into the air with so-called knots in some places, on which the leaves of the bamboo plant develop. The stems are hollow on the inside and grow close together. Bamboo is often remembered for its incredible growth rates. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. On average they grow about a few centimeters per day, but there are also bamboo species that grow 25 centimeters per day, which is more than one centimeter per hour.
Flowering
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Almost all bamboo species bloom rarely, others once a year, and some even spontaneously in large groups and then die off en masse. The perennial bamboo species bloom at long intervals, up to 150 years. Suddenly, these perennial bamboo varieties start to flower en masse. These blooms extend over gigantic areas. After such a flowering period, a structural breakdown of these plants takes place. It is a true mystery to biologists why these bamboo species all suddenly start to flower at the same time and then all die again. In Chinese culture, sudden bamboo bloom has a symbolic meaning — a bad omen.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Applications
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Besides the fact that bamboo is eaten by giant pandas, bamboo shoots are also used in Asian cuisine. We also use bamboo as a building material for furniture, fishing rods, reinforcement in concrete, parquet, toys and musical instruments, but also in clothing.
Sustainable resource
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Clothing made from bamboo is sustainable when it comes to obtaining bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly and only needs sunlight and hardly any water or other nutrients. In addition, no pesticides are required for the development of bamboo. Bamboo also quickly produces new trunks after it has been cut, so that bamboo can be harvested several times and no deforestation takes place. So when it comes to bamboo development, the environment is not affected by pesticides, a lot of water use, and deforestation. The presence of bamboo also results in a soil that is more fertile and absorbs 35 percent more CO 2 than other plants. So at first sight very durable ...
Long fresh
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Clothing made of bamboo stays fresh for a long time. Despite the fact that a lot of work has gone into it, t-shirts, for example, continue to smell pleasant and do not retain musty odors. This means that bamboo clothing needs to be washed less often, which prevents wear. Less washing is also better for the environment and your wallet.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
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40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Temperature regulating
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When bamboo clothing is worn, the experience will be that in summer the clothes feel cool, while in winter bamboo clothing retains body heat more. This benefits the sweat production and ensures a more pleasant wearing comfort.
Sweat Control
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Partly thanks to temperature regulation, sweat is controlled, but bamboo clothing, often used as undergarments, also helps greatly against sweat stains in your regular shirts or t-shirts. Bamboo clothing absorbs sweat easily and ensures rapid evaporation, so that sweat stains appear less quickly during high activity. Light blue shirts are therefore no longer a taboo in the summer.
Silky soft
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Finally, clothes made with bamboo are silky soft. That makes it very suitable as undergarments, as wearers of these clothes do not feel that they are wearing anything under their 'normal' clothes. The softness also greatly increases comfort and therefore feels pleasant.
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15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
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95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
Viscose
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Despite the fact that the development of bamboo is very green and sustainable, there is one annoying side note. Bamboo is a hard plant species that resides between grass and tree. In order to make soft clothing from bamboo, a process is required that is often very environmentally unfriendly. This is regrettable, as it can be done differently.