It is remarkable how well the culture and topography can absorb the number of visitors Bali receives [12 million people will visit this tiny island this year]. And yet, it is not difficult to get out along the fringe, away from the throngs of tourists, and be among the local people. It is clear why Bali continues to attract deep-hearted, culture seeking travelers. And right-minded businesses too.

There is plenty to do…we wandered along the Northern coast, traveled to the volcano, watched traditional dance, observed temple ceremony, lunched in a rice field, and took in the local museum.

We also had the chance to visit three interesting, green and sustainable businesses.

There are countless ’shops’ in Ubud. Most are forgettable. Threads of Life is different. Threads of Life is focused on sustaining cultures through preserving traditional textile arts. They have an impressive model that serves and supports the textile weavers directly. They sell carefully, selected work of both textile and basket weaving. We have been collecting bamboo and rattan baskets for many years. We picked up a beautifully woven bamboo basket from Kalimantan, and another interesting basket from Lembata island made from Lontar leaves.

We arranged a tour of The Green School. We have been interested in visiting for years. The school is a terrific architectural example of wise use of local materials. The school is formed of a main building surrounded by smaller ‘classrooms.’ All built from bamboo.

A typical Rather, atypical classroom below.

The grounds include a beautiful bamboo bridge that is featured here in Inhabitat.

There is a wonderful TED Talksfeaturing John Hardy, the founder and visionary to The Green School. It’s worth viewing here. Sustainability is at the heart of what the school practices and teaches. And what better form of teaching, than leading by example.

The other green business we experienced, rather accidentally is Alchemy in Ubud. We happened to be staying at a homestay down the road from Alchemy, a Raw Food Cafe. Serving an array of local and organic produce and juice concoctions…vibrant foods. We built magnificent salads from the best salad bar ever. We discovered Kale Chips, Cocao Nibs, and organic raw Cacao Butter there. Their proposition is…….raw chocolate, fresh healthy juice and free wi-fi. Who could ask for more? Boy, we’re glad we found Alchemy. It is a community center of goodness supporting the local farmers and producers and spreading goodness to many.

Bali is like that….there is a lot of goodness to go around. It is a joy to tap into that. And spread it around.

To communicate the benefits of our products to our customers, we decided two years ago, that we wanted to be a part of USDA’s biobased products initiative. We did our research. At the time it was a little known designation. But we saw it as an important distinction in defining the quality of our products, and also a way to promote the wider use of biobased products. Our All Occasion Veneerware bamboo plates and utensils are the logical products to carry this certification. They are sourced from Certified Organic sources. These are certified by IMO Switzerland on an annual basis. Our products are also approved for composting.

bambu Veneerware Plates. Biobased Certified.

Today, these products carry the Biobased Preferred seal.

100% Biobased Seal

bambu Veneerware has been designated as 100% Biobased.

A recent blog from Sustainable Brands, in which the authors go into great detail about Biobased designation and strategies to support a biobased strategy. A link to that blog is here.

An excerpt from that recent blog explains the reasons to promote and use biobased products,……there are many reasons for a business to use biobased content instead of traditional petroleum-based ingredients in their products: It helps grow the farm economy, promotes energy independence, and helps manage carbon impacts, providing a useful hedge against potential future carbon taxes. Biobased agricultural and other renewable material can also help mitigate petroleum’s wild price fluctuations, supply disruptions and geopolitics.

Fact is, consumers are unfamiliar with the term ‘biobased.’ Some more information can be found here. We are proud to be among the first in our industry to carry this destination, and look for others to follow.

Finding that perfect gift for the cook in your life couldn’t be any easier. This next company has everything you need to surprise them with unique, functional gifts this Christmas!

Bambu offers a beautiful collection of bamboo products for the kitchen and home. Bamboo is a highly renewable, sustainable, and sturdy material which makes it an excellent choice for their contemporary style. They strive to be earth-friendly through their manufacturing processes and by the use of bamboo which is a low impact material. Bambu has even been granted the Green America

Gold Seal of Approval for their positive impact and sustainable business practices. With sleek designs and high quality craftsmanship, Bambu will surely impress anyone who finds them.

At our recent industry trade fair in New York, we made some wonderful connections with new friends, long time customers, and folks that visited us from Colombia, Toronto, DC, our friends in Portland, and of course many of our sales folks who attended. It was a whirlwind of activity at our booth.

There is one conversation with a ‘customer’ that stands out. [the reason the word is in quotes is because she really wasn't a customer. See Below]

She remarked when she came to our tradeshow booth. She was pleased to see us but I could also tell, she was slightly annoyed. She whispered to her colleague, and then expressed that she was disappointed because no one from my company responded to her interest in our products. She went on to explain that she was interested in our Veneerware natural disposable bamboo plates.

She had seen our bamboo products lately and had contacted us by email, and by phone. And we hadn’t replied. Now, as we got to talking, she admitted that she wasn’t certain it was us. But in eyeing our products, she really really wanted to use our plates!! And we weren’t making it easy for her.

I could say confidently. And politely. ‘it wasn’t us.’

The Customer is First. Even when they aren’t a customer.

I stated confidently that I was sure it wasn’t us that she had contacted. We wouldn’t have ignored her. But that we could easily help her now. And we would be delighted to. We are vigilant about our response time and the care we give existing and prospective customers. We work hard at this, and everyone shares the same belief. We have created systems to help support us. But ultimately it comes down to people caring. Said ‘customer’ is now gladly a real customer. Our product speaks for itself….and the Care in customer care comes with a capital ‘C’.

Portland

It started here. And it all starts here, our home base for bambu. The food scene is exploding. And biking is a way of life. Only natural that we would spot our new Bicycle motif bamboo coasters at the Portland icon store, Powell’s Bookstore on Hawthorne.

We also stopped in on our friends at New Seasons markets. Really friendly atmosphere and a nice display of our range here.

….and then we headed north. First stop, Olympia, Washington.

Olympia

I think of The Spar Cafe, Olympia Beer and Sleatter-Kinney when I think of Olympia. Now, we think of Compass Rose. New friends, and new bambu customer. Compass Rose is a wonderful shop of discovery and gifts in Olympia. They carry our organic kids products, Veneerware, and some cutting boards. Met Liz and Alana at the store. Had to pose for a picture.

Shared some of our newest products. LOVE for the new bamboo ruler, and the new cork fabric slim wallet (now also available Here).

A customer happened to be in the store at the time. She was buying our Certified Organic Bamboo Pots and Pans Scraper. She uses it for……are you ready………spreading cake frosting. Use #21 for our super-fantastic, multi-use bamboo scraper, spreader, and shaper. The uses are endless.

And on to Seattle…..

We visited several Metropolitan Markets. They have fabulous stores, wonderfully presented with strong local flavor. They blend in our range really well. We met with Rodd. Took another picture, and learned a lot about his business.

And then it was onto the new and fabulous Melrose Market on Capitol Hill to visit Butter Home. Claire has created a little gem of a shop, specializing in unique, well crafted home furnishings and gifts. In fact, our AdjustABowl cork fabric bowls are a store fav!

Great use of a small space. Downstairs is the delectable Calf & Kid, artisan cheese shop. They know their cheeses….nice display of our Undercut Cutting and Serving Boards.

Visited several Whole Foods along the way, and spotted this nice bambu display in their Redmond store. Nice!

San Franciso
Unfortunately, it was not really a SF visit….just a pass through the International airport. But one of the best things about the terminal is the SFMOMA Museum Store. Always a treat. Usually a purchase. We were thrilled to see our cork fabric Adjust A Bowl collection and signature Gaby Crumb Board, and our cork Coffee Cuff are a store featured range.

And then it was back to China…the West Coast tour turned into the Far East tour…where it continues. Terrific trip, great visits. Where do you want to be? What looks good to you?

The SustainAbility: Design for a Better World exhibition is once again being held in New York in August in conjunction with the New York International Gift Fair. This is a curated exhibit of global brands whose products or production processes are eco-friendly, or companies whose business practices are socially responsible, philanthropic or fair-trade oriented.

In our case, we check all the boxes! Once again bambu has been selected for the fifth straight year, to showcase the company’s innovative, and newest green products. Drum roll…………..and here are this show’s featured products.

iPad Travel Case – Made from supple cork fabric, this travel case fits all iPad models. Styled after the traditional courier envelope, this gorgeous product is lined with unbleached cotton, and finished with coconut buttons and waxed cotton tie. Soft touch meets high tech in this unique travel case. We have been using ours for months….it just gets better with use.

Bamboo and Cork Canister Series – Combining sustainable materials has been a design focus for the several years. We introduced the first ever, ‘Hybrid’ Cutting Board combining cork and bamboo. Followed up by our high design coasters. This year we take that idea to the classic kitchen canister. Available in three sizes, the bamboo vessels are fitted with snug cork lids. No plastics. Not ever. Ideal for salt, spices, beans. They also look great in the bathroom.

Cork Fabric Placemats and Coasters – Create an elegant table setting with our first-of-a-kind, cork fabric placemats. Back in black cotton with contrast stitching, these are amazingly durable, stain and water resistant too. And, they are machine washable too. These look great on wood or glass tabletops, and match well with silverware and matt finish ceramics.

bambu will be showcasing 18 new products at this year’s New York International Gift Show. This year’s range consists of bamboo cutting boards, cork cutting boards, bamboo kitchen utensils, bamboo serving trays, eating utensils and sets. bambu is the only company to source Certified Organic bamboo for it’s gift and housewares products. We will be showcasing 120 products from our new booth at #3556 in the Gourmet Housewares section.

bambu products are just some of the several products being featured from over 40 producers at the SustainAbility: Design for a Better World exhibition later this month. Congratulations to everyone for pushing sustainability in new products.

Green America supports businesses that reflect these core values -

1. Actively using their business as a tool for positive social change;
2. Operate a “values-driven” based on principles of social justice AND environmental sustainability
3. Environmentally responsible in the way they source, manufacture, and market their products and run their operations and facilities;
4. Socially equitable and committed to extraordinary practices that benefit workers, customers, communities, and the environment; and
5. Accountable for their work by continually improving and tracking their progress, and operating with radical transparency in every facet of their business.

bambu is honored to have received the highest Gold Seal distinction for the company’s practices, and approach to business.

Green America asked us to share our story with their members. The following is an excerpt from a recent article that will be published by Green America.

It Is More Than A Product

We consider all aspects of a product from the very beginning of our design process, through to production, sales and marketing. It is a fairly rigorous process,

We have developed several products from waste and excess material. Being on the ground, seeing and knowing the process gives us insights and those ‘ah ha’ moments, that you cannot get working long distance, remarks owner and co-founder, Rachel Speth.

Sweat the Details. Know Your Supply Chain.

There are many things that cannot be controlled. But the issues that you can, should get your full, unwavering attention, comment co-founder, Jeff Delkin. Double check and triple check, read between the lines. Know what is being said, by not being said. Manufacturing in China and Vietnam is not transparent. It is not easy or clear navigating suppliers from a distance. You will be told what they think you want to hear. You will not have all the facts unless you visit your suppliers. Regular visits, inspecting production, quality checking, instilling labor and environmental requirements and monitoring progress are important. These types of checks and balances are required to ensure transparent and acceptable working practices. And these give a business owner, peace-of-mind and a sense of ownership of responsibility. No matter where you produce, you have a responsibility to know what is going on.

These are just two of several lessons that we have learned along the way of creating a small global brand based on personal values and responsible business practices. To read the entire piece, click here for a pdf of the full article.

Business has the ability and the responsibility to push for positive change. “We firmly believe that socially responsible businesses should lead the way.”

bamboo clothespins

dry your clothes...naturally

Think about the word, ‘Laundry.’ Dry. Lawn. Lawn Dry. Why not take the energy-saving, fresh air loving approach to drying your clothes – warm temperatures and a natural breeze is all you need.

Here are a some surprising statistics:

• 80%of American households use a dryer for 2-9 loads a week.
• Only 8% of households line dry their clothes.
• In Italy, less than 4% of the households even own a dryer.

Let nature finish the clothes washing chore for you

By some estimations, the dryer accounts for more than 6% of your electric bill. Sunlight bleaches and disinfects, too. So join the ’slow dry’ movement. Let nature finish the clothes washing chore for you.

Check out our bamboo clothespins. bambu quality bamboo clothespins hold firm. Our clothespins are made tough with rust-resistant hardware – ready to withstand nature, and keep hold on your clothes in a strong breeze. Or bring them indoors and use them around the house – clip bags closed, keep papers or photos organized. Ours come in our signature reusable unbleached cotton bag. Find them at our bambu Shop here. Or find bambu clothespins here.

Let the sun do its thing. Sun drying also makes your clothes last longer.

Project Landry List leads the ‘air dry’ movement. You can find out more by visiting their website. Join the movement, fight the clothesline ban that may be in your community, start a Chapter. It is the preferred alternative, naturally.

And finally, here are Ten Good Reasons to Line Dry Your Clothes.

Enjoy the outdoors!