Since our inception in 2003, Bambu has been committed to creating zero-waste solutions that make everyday sustainable living possible. As a company, our goal is and always has been to practice what we preach. We are constantly striving to set a standard for sustainable business practices. We began our business with clean practices, but we’re not stopping there. That’s why we’re excited to announce our newest step towards an even more sustainable future- going Carbon Neutral. Here’s what it means:
Bambu Is The Newest CarbonFund.org CarbonFree Small Business Partner
We’re proud to partner with CarbonFund.org as a CarbonFree Small Business Partner. CarbonFund.org is a leading non-profit organization that helps businesses (and individuals) offset their carbon footprint by investing in projects that support reforestation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. “Reduce what you can, offset what you can’t” is CarbonFund.org’s tagline, and a way of thinking Bambu aligns with. Before anything else, we do our best to reduce our carbon footprint. This starts with creating zero-waste products from biobased, renewable materials, and ends with our products compostable and biodegradable end of life. At the end of the day, any environmental impact that we can’t reduce, we’ve pledged to offset.
What does going carbon neutral mean?
The average American uses 50,000 pounds of carbon each year. Between travel, maintaining a home, and everything else we buy, it’s easy to see how it adds up. And for many companies, the carbon footprint that’s left behind after their work is done is higher than you might be able to imagine. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and is released when fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil, are burned. As of 2018, carbon dioxide emissions accounted for 81% of all greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in the atmosphere, raising the global temperature.
Luckily, our planet is equipped with the tools to sequester carbon dioxide and remove it from the atmosphere. They’re called carbon sinks- primarily soil, forests, and the ocean. Carbon sinks absorb more carbon than they emit. And they’re a key to moving towards a healthier planet.
By joining CarbonFund.org and going carbon neutral, we’ve committed to contributing to projects that sequester carbon from the atmosphere in order to offset Bambu’s carbon footprint. As we seek to continually reduce our footprint in the hopes of someday eradicating it, committing to offsetting the carbon we can’t reduce is the first step. As a carbon neutral company, we’ve worked with CarbonFund.org to effectively calculate our carbon footprint, reduce it where possible, and then donate to projects that offset what we produce.
Supporting carbon neutral projects for a sustainable planet
CarbonFund.org works to help businesses achieve their carbon neutral pledge with verified third-party projects in three main areas of carbon offsetting: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and forestry.
Energy Efficiency
One of the best ways to move towards a sustainable future is to reduce the carbon emissions before they need to be sequestered or offset. CarbonFund.org supports energy efficiency projects that do just that. From projects that reduce tailpipe emissions from US freight trucks to donating fuel-efficient cookstoves that reduce emissions and improve health in Kenya, these projects work to fight carbon emissions at the ground level.
Renewable Energy
In order to slow and stop the effects of climate change, our dependence on fossil fuels that are key to greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of environmental damage must stop. By investing in green alternatives, renewable energy is at the forefront of many carbon offset programs. In the long run, a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy will account for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. CarbonFund.org is proud to support projects such as wind energy farms in Texas, solar projects in India, and landfill gas to clean energy conversions in Massachusetts.
Forestry
As one of the greatest natural carbon sinks, it’s clear that the protection of our forests is an integral piece of reducing carbon emissions and going carbon neutral. As the threat of deforestation looms over many of the planet’s biggest forests, CarbonFund.org focuses many efforts on protecting existing forests. Several of the largest forest protection projects that CarbonFund.org supports are located in Brazil, protecting healthy rainforests from threats and working to maintain habitats that are crucial to the safety of many species of wildlife. For those areas that have already suffered from deforestation, CarbonFund.org supports reforestation efforts. Currently, two of the largest reforestation projects are focused on reforesting over a million acres of land in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and over 25,000 acres of forest in Panama.
What’s next on Bambu’s carbon neutral list?
Just as we didn’t stop our sustainability efforts with our zero-waste products, going carbon neutral isn’t the final stop on Bambu’s carbon neutral journey. We will continue to pursue ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint- through our business practices and beyond. Some thoughts? Certifying our products as carbonfree. Check back soon for the latest updates on Bambu’s continual journey towards a sustainable future!
Wondering about your own Carbon Footprint?
Big shifts are often the result of small changes. If you’re wondering how you can determine your carbon footprint, check out this carbon footprint calculator. Remember, finding areas you can reduce your carbon footprint, like choosing sustainable products that are created from natural, biobased materials or using public transportation, is the best place to start. If you’re interested in offsetting the carbon footprint that you can’t reduce, consider CarbonFund.org’s carbon offset programs for individuals.
Three Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Take matters into your own hands with these three tips to get you closer to carbon neutral today.
Switch to LED light bulbs in your house
It seems small, and it is. But the effects are great. LED bulbs use 20-25% less energy than traditional bulbs, and they last up to 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Not only does the switch reduce everyday energy consumption, but it also helps you reduce waste by using the same bulb for significantly longer.
Buy second-hand
Before you head to the mall, consider shopping for items at second-hand or consignment stores. The fashion industry is one of the biggest environmental polluters, contributing between 8-10% of global Co2 emissions each year. If you do need something new, look for clothing that’s made with sustainable processes such as using recycled or organic materials.
Say goodbye to plastic
Swap your use of plastics, which rely on fossil fuels for their creation, in favor of products that use renewable materials- like bamboo (not that we’re biased). Reducing your reliance on plastics can help reduce your carbon footprint and increase the safety of your house.
Shop Certified sustainable bamboo cookware.
