Fair Trade Originalis our partner organization representing bambu in The Netherlands. We are thrilled to be associated with this group. Fair Trade Original, formerly Fair Trade Organization incorporated in 1959, is the founder of development trade – an initiative which has since been adopted all over the world.

Fair Trade principles have become the standard in which social entrepreneurs and values-driven businesses are born. Fair Trade principles are the backbone to bambu. To read more about How Fair Trade Works, click here . Fair Trade Original buys only products that follow fair trade terms and conditions, and are open – and able – to improve and make change.

Fair Trade Original only works with companies that adhere to fair trade principles. We are proud that bambu is one of those companies. In fact, bambu is the first company to be operating in China, to partner with Fair Trade Original. The FTO team recently visited us in China, met with us, and toured our production centers. We were most proud to show them our owned and operated small, efficient utensils workshop, Zhu Mulan.. It was an unusual opportunity for us to show a caring group of people, our organization, our people, and why we are proudly made in China.

We accomplished a lot. A small collection of photos from their visit are below.

Working with Fair Trade Original builds awareness and appreciation, and importantly, change for producers and buyers around the world. It is a partnership we are particularly proud to have created.

bambu Veneerware backstory

bambu Veneerware is the original ‘natural disposable’ range of dinnerware of choice for countless events, occasions and meals since first introducing bamboo plates to the the market over eight years ago. These unique, elegant bamboo dinnerware range has sparked interest, compliments and questions from a lot of people. We wanted to share the ‘back story’ of our bambu All Occasion Veneerware® plates and cutlery by creating this visual depiction with the help of artist, Arlene Birt, to illustrate our ‘Soil to Soil’ full cycle story. The simple graphic style presents our story that begins in the hills of China that we fondly refer to as ‘bamboo mountain.’  The bamboo we use is grown in the wild, not from plantations. Small plots of land are leased to individual farmers who harvest the bamboo with simple hand tools. The bamboo is harvested after three to five years.

Our bamboo is harvested using sustainable farming practices. No pesticides, fertilizers or chemicals are introduced to the growing or harvesting of the bamboo, which is grown in the wild. bambu is the only company to be able to make the claim that our bamboo is organically grown and certified.

Our bamboo products are enjoyed by thousands of people, and used for all types of occasions. The most common question we get asked is, ‘can we use them more than once?’ The short answer is ‘Yes.’ The FDA requires us to designate these products as single-use. But like any disposable plate, you can decide. We do not apply any finish or seal on them, so when you introduce liquid, they will begin to break down – which is exactly what these bamboo plates are supposed to do! So, cheese and crackers or sandwiches, or snacks, wipe ‘em clean, and use them again and again. If you are hosting a party or catering an event, using bambu Veneerware can save you money too – here’s how – check out the savings.

The best part of the bambu Veneerware story is when you are finished with these bamboo plates, and they go back into the soil and compost down. That’s when the full cycle works best. And that is why we encourage all bambu Veneerware customers to Consider Composting. We do recognize, that if there was a weak link to our ‘Soil to Soil’ process, it is the fact that we transport our bamboo plates from China to the US by large vessel. Not perfect perhaps, but still better than many alternatives. Read Inhabitat’s Compost Report on our bambu Veneerware®. Clean and green.

NEW USDA CERTIFICATION

We are pleased to share that our All Occasion Veneerware® has also been recognized with the industry’s first BioBased certification granted by the USDA. Biobased products are preferred over others, because of their proven biodegradability and low environmental impact. More information is available here and here.

Green, elegant, durable, beautiful and biodegradable.

Serve it up green, safe and clean, and certified good.

[shot with iPhone 4, Time Lapse app, edited with iMovie, music by Komeda]

Among the clips, there ia a company overview, a short clip of Tao, who lives in central Vietnam and is an extraordinary weaver, and a ‘top of her class’ student, a recent broadcast in Shanghai from the Eco Design Fair, and a couple of other short clips.

Hope you enjoy. More to come…

Proclaimed ‘eco expert’ Danny Seo has a good story to tell. He raises awareness about the benefits of leading a lower impact, eco-lifestyle. bambu applauds this. We’re certainly all for living a cleaner greener lifestyle.

However, he recently got his facts wrong. Rather, he did not convey the complete story. And we felt a need to speak up! The Seo PR team works with the huge media group Universal Press Syndicate, and publishes Daily Tips. Nice idea. The following ‘daily tip’ caught our attention.

Bamboo is a great eco-friendly material that has a myriad of uses, but cookware may not be one of them when you’re stocking your green kitchen. Since bamboo spatulas and large spoons need to be glued together in strips, overheating them in bubbly pots of sauce or boiling water could cause the glue to melt and seep into your food. Instead, invest in solid metal pieces that are intact and free of glues.

Foul! Danny’s PR team didn’t do their research. Not all bamboo utensils are produced using glues. In fact, bambu has been producing bamboo utensils without glues since we started making our products. It is an important difference in our bamboo cooking utensils versus the other guys. It is a message we tell our customers illustrated in the graphic below…

Not only are bambu utensils free from glues and adhesives, but bambu is the only company that uses bamboo that is Certified Organic. Our sources of wild bamboo are ensured to be grown without pesticides or fertilizers. It is the same story for our bambu Kids products too. We go the extra mile on this because it is important.

Suggesting stainless steel as a better alternative as they state, doesn’t tell the whole story. Nor does it consider the impacts of sourcing and processing ore.

We wrote Danny several emails informing him and his media team about the differences, but we never got a response.

We felt it important to point out the facts so people can make informed buying decisions.

We appreciate the support for what we do.

Conversation starter: Proudly made in China: “

Chip and I have been emailing back and forth with Jeff Delkin, the owner and cofounder of a startup company called Bambu, which makes lovely housewares out of bamboo and other renewable materials.  He’s said a couple of things that inspired us, and Jeff gave us permission to share them with you.

 A few months ago, we wrote a column for Fast Company — ‘Give ‘Em Something to Talk About’ — about the importance of using your products/services to start a conversation with your customers.  Jeff wrote in several examples of the attempts they’re making to start conversations, and here’s my favorite:

‘In small mice type, on each of our products, the label carries a simple, small but powerful message, ‘proudly made in China.’ And this alone has sparked numerous conversations. We turned a legal imperative into a statement of purposefulness. People ask, what does this mean? And challenge us, how can you say that? And we’re happy to reply.  It carries meaning of care and quality to our customers, and sales team. It is a statement of pride for every craftsperson involved in our product process.  That small bit of legalese has become a key differentiating statement of meaning. ‘Why We Can Say Proudly Made in China’ is now a document that demonstrates our transparency, our commitment to fair working conditions, and quality craftsmanship.In light of the current wave of suspicion surrounding China made products, this has become an increasingly important and relevant conversation people are having with us.’

That’s a really nice move — turning a legal necessity into an opportunity for dialogue, and using it even to express a sense of pride in one’s work.

P.S. Jeff also had a great Sinatra Test example.  (The Sinatra Test is based on the song ‘New York, New York’ and specifically the line ‘if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.’  The idea is that there are symbolic wins that may establish more credibility for organizations than more conventional wins, like revenue, units sold, etc.)  Here it is:

‘Our products have been used to serve dinner to honor His Holiness, the Dala Lama, late night food at the Golden Globe Awards, and organic wedding cake on Good Morning America. And now, just this week, served on at the Statue of Liberty.’

“

(Via Made to Stick.)

Technorati Tags:
bamboo, bambu, design, green design, renewable ideas

It is unusual that the Oregon Duck football team would end up on this blog. Well sort of. The owners are both alum from the University of Oregon. And one in particular, is a football fan.

The recent accent of the Oregon Football team finishing the 2010 season with a perfect 12-0 record has a lot of people talking around the country. And it has people talking about bamboo. There’s the connection.

Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership was started by Greg Bell, basketball player, attorney, entrepreneur. Greg developed the concept of Watering the Bamboo.

The idea is quite simple, really.

“Water The Bamboo is a metaphor to remind us that all great success takes time and work. When you water giant timber bamboo in the first year, you see nothing. In the second year, you still see no results. In the third year, you see nothing still. In the fourth year, it will suddenly rocket 90 feet in just 60 days! Bamboo farmers know you need to water the bamboo a long time before you see any sign of success.”

Whether it is life or whether it is football, you just gotta keep watering the bamboo. You have to keep working. That hard work, perseverance, and patience, lead to success. In football terms, this years success team has been years in the making.

Here, Coach Chip Kelly talks about Watering the Bamboo –

The intersect is an interesting one. Particularly since, bamboo requires relatively little water to grow mighty and strong. The metaphor is not lost. Patience and perseverance pay off. Good luck Oregon. Bring home the championship. GO DUCKS!

If you are going to chop with sharp blades, play with your food.

It is all in the hands. The hands of farmers who cut and carry the bamboo, the hands of artisans who coil, and shape, and the hands of the weaver who weaves our baskets. To the hands in the kitchen, that create, assemble, slice and present an exquisitely prepared dish, or a favorite recipe. The individual goes into the making and comes out in the product, and in the food. It is the same with a handcrafted product.

It is this ‘handmadeness’ that is all about the products we create.

There is a similar handmadeness about the people who use our products and wonderful food they create and enjoy.