Since starting my online Bamboo Company, 100bamboo.com, I’ve
been asked many times what made me choose Bamboo as a product to retail and
market. Quite simply a visit to China.
The Telegraph Traveler quotes: ‘ With its high-octane
energy, can-do drive, teeming population and challenging language barrier,
China can be an exhausting destination for the first-time visitor.’
It sure was an eye-opener and I have never, in my 15 plus
years of western travel felt anywhere near as ‘novice’ as I did in Beijing and
the surrounds. The people are focused, driven to proceed with their daily lives
and do not seem to be bothered by tourists gawking and observing their remote
and eastern lives.
China is a big, diverse country and smart travellers will
narrow down their must-see list to a select few destinations. Approached
wisely, China is as uplifting as it is intriguing. It is also an essential stop
for anyone hoping to learn more about the direction the world is taking this
century.
Bamboo plays a
vital role in Chinese culture and its influence can be found in almost every
facet of life. This was long before it was popular for anything other
than flooring the in the UK, and I realised that perhaps the Chinese are embracing
this super plant, technically a grass, for it’s diversity, durability and most
importantly it’s longevity as they know more than any of us that once raw
materials are exploited, it’s a matter of time before they become farmed,
manipulated, and possibly a shadow of it’s former self.
With Bamboo growing up to 3 feet per day in peak growing
seasons, it’s quite comprehensible that this raw material is going to remain a
lot more sustainable than it’s cotton and wool counter-parts.
Discovering, feeling and using bamboo linens in China for
the first time, made me see a gap in our UK and European offerings for this
soft, luxurious and most importantly sensible choice of raw material.
We now offer Bed Lines, Towels, Blankets and Socks and hope
to expand further into home textiles and culinary goods in the coming year.
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