The way we live is unsustainable. Our actions and our decisions have environmental consequences. Ecologically sensitive design has to become an integral and permanent part of our lives.

1000 New Eco Designs by Rebecca Proctor is an impressive look into contemporary interior products that are at once ecologically sound and beautifully designed.

Proctor takes on the impressive task of identifying 1000 interior and homeware designs from around the world in this showcase reference book.

An essential resource for consumers, the book includes a simple rating system to help cut through the eco maze. Each design is accompanied by icons that show at a glance the product’s ‘green’ credentials – highlighting the use of recycled, renewable and locally-sourced materials as well as non-toxic, low-energy and low-wast manufacturing processes.

The idea that being sensitive to the environment needn’t mean sacrificing good design is one that we firmly believe in.

We are honored to be included in this global showcase of design excellence.

Five (5) of our collections are included in this reference book including our All Occasion Veneerware®, Serveware, Coiled Lacquerware bowls, our super Chop Block, and our Cork creations.

Besides bambu, there are other more established brands like Dorat, and Droog from Amsterdam, and Artecnica, as well as lots of fresh ideas from many emerging designers and artists. This is worthy of buying and referencing often.

Nishihara-san is the inspiration and master chef of Kajistu the michelin star awarded restaurant in New York. Here’s a recent review on his NY restaurant in the NYTimes. Nishihara-san does amazing things with vegetables. From his seasonal selections, interesting discoveres, extraordinary combinations, preparation and final presentation, each item is a masterful creation.

Nishihara-san with the assistance of Harris Salat, hosted a Japanese cooking workshop in Saveur’s test kitchen in New York two weeks ago. From Soba noodles and dipping sauces, the journey proceeded from there.

Harris writes well of his evening in Scenes from a Japanese Cooking Workshop.

We were delighted to be invited to join this special event. The entire evening’s fare was presented on bambu products. Soba noodles served in our Naked hand-coiled Lacquerware bowls. Fresh vegetable salad on our All Occasion Veneerware® and the implements of choice? Naturally, bambu Snapstix® – our version of the chopstick.

Vegetables on Veneerware®

Harris Salat is an admired talent in his own right. Writer, cookbook author, student and teacher of Japanese culture, we have been exchanging insights back and forth about Japanese authors, favorite foods, master bamboo basket weavers, and favorite places in Kyoto.

Read his Japanese Food Report for an inside look and genuine appreciation for the food (and culture) of Japan.

Thank you Nishihara-san, and Harris. You have thrown a masterful event. Plan to see you in February.

Keep it extraordinary.

With the green movement gathering more momentum, there has been an explosion of terms and catchphrases being bantered about. ‘Organic’ is probably the most common one, and the term most often misused.

Consumers are in a state of ‘organic confusion’ – symptoms of an overused, often abused, and unsubstantiated use of the term. Its use is prevalent in the food and beverage category and recently, crossing over into textiles and housewares.

The food section in many stores is a minefield of ‘organic’ claims. The word ‘organic’ shows up in more aisles than ever before. The number of products now touting ‘organic’ would surprise most of us.

Yet, it is a positive trend that promotes healthy food, benefits both small and larger farmers, and supports responsible practices.

More good news. Perhaps surprisingly, these claims do not go unchecked. The USDA provides oversight for all organic certification. While there are several different organic certification labels, growers and manufacturers of organic products that claim ‘organic’ must also display an organic ’seal of certification.’

Food companies and growers must follow a fairly rigid set of standards.

More specifically –

In order to qualify as organic, a product must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity. Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.

It is well known that the use of pesticides and herbicides in conventional farming practices contaminates groundwater, ruins the soil structure, and promotes erosion.

Now, turning to bamboo. Widely known as a renewable resource, this fast-growing plant provides numerous ecological benefits. In most cases, bamboo is a ‘wild crop’ and it therefore, can be designated ‘organic.’ But, only if the source has been inspected, approved and granted certification, from an approved certification organization.

In the Housewares industry, the notion of promoting ‘organic’ as a benefit to consumers is a relatively new concept. We first brought the idea of organic certification to products in the housewares industry more than three years ago.

In the housewares industry, you have at least three ‘bamboo’ companies claiming the term ‘organic’ but unable to provide any substantiation.

These examples serve as a reminder to us, that consumers need to interrogate and challenge manufacturers’ claims. Do not take the words of a manufacturer or a hired PR firm as truth. Seek proof. Require verification.

FACT – If a company uses the word ‘organic’ to describe their process or ingredient, they must show evidence. Otherwise it is nothing more than false, unsubstantiated marketing speak.

At bambu, we have gone to exhaustive lengths to have our sources of bamboo certified. We are the first and only company to have our sources CERTIFIED ORGANIC. (note: only some of our sources have been granted organic certification. And only for those products do we display the certifying label.)

1. All Occasion Veneerware®
2. Natural Utensils
3. bambu KIDS

We spearheaded this initiative three years ago because we wanted to give consumers absolute assurance about the origin of our products. To convey that our products are safe for people and safe for the environment. And they needn’t take our word for it.

People are suspect of goods coming from China. As well they should be. Frankly, there are too many abuses here. Third party certification builds credibility and gives consumers important and impartial evidence that they need to make informed buying decisions.

In the most recent 2009 U.S. LOHAS Consumer Trends Database® study, half of U.S. consumers look for proof regarding a company’s green claims.

If you are interested, there is a good report on Greenwashing, we recommend. The Six Seven Sins of Greenwashing.

On a similar note, the textile industry is going through a similar situation of questionable claims and marketing hype. Here are a couple of links to some very good articles below, if you are interested.

The Facts about Fiber, Bamboo Fiber and Organic Fiber

Bamboo Fabrics Are Not as Green as They Say They Are. Link Here.

Fact Behind the Fiber. One of the best and most extensive posts on fiber processing. Link Here. from Organic Clothing – Facts Behind the Fiber.

Another article on ‘organic bamboo’ is here. First Clean Coal, Now Organic Bamboo

Greater accountability and more transparency are needed from companies. More thorough investigation is needed from consumers.

We catch up with Entourage on HBO whenever we can. While watching Season 6 we were surprised (and delighted) to see our products show up on the show. We have a bit of history with with the cast – (more on that below.)

In Episode 3 the boys are sitting down to a meal prepared by Johnny Drama (the only one who appears to actually cook anything). It’s Turtle 30th birthday and he joins the group to congrats and well wishes (moments later he receives a Ferrari from Vince and a Porsche from his girlfriend- only in tvland!)

They sit down to a midday meal on the deck. Vince is telling Turtle why he should not feel depressed, but feel on top of the world. (Don’t we all wish, sometimes, we had a friend like Vince, sometimes?) Then, Johnny Drama serves himself up a salad, it looks like. With bambu Curvy Servers. Yup, there they are. Nice.

Which leads us to another Entourage story. You see, we have a bit of history with the gang from Entourage.

Not too long ago, our Customer Care team in New York received a call from Adrian Grenier’s people. In Hollywood circles, Adrian is a genuine environmentalist and passionate advocate for the green movement. As fans, we were thrilled to receive his call.

He had been working on a home in Brooklyn. Built to environmental spec. Spectacular. It was finally finished, and he was ready to open his doors and share it with friends. We didn’t get the invite, but he did want to have some of our product for his housewarming. We said, ’sure.’ In fact, we did one better, and jumped into a car and hand delivered a whole assortment of stuff. It was great.

Adrian ‘thanked’ us. And gave us the below photo. Written on it is,

Hey Bambu Peeps – Thanks for the Grubware — Adrian ‘Vince’

Thanks Adrian. We’re fans. Don’t know what all this means, except that it is a bit of thrill. Especially when you’re sitting in Shanghai, head down everyday, doing the stuff that matters to keep a company moving and growing. And then you look up, and there, on the tv, on a random day at a random time, a world away and a thousand miles more, is the result of something you’ve been a part of making. It stops you. It isn’t huge, but it is kind of cool.

We were really pleased to learn that these were the guys who were producing the 1% film.1% For The Planet. Since finding out about this project, Jake Whitcomb and I have been emailing each other. It is soon to release and will highlight

The power of 1. The power of many.

Check out the trailer. It shows clips of our home base in beautiful Portland, Oregon, bicycles, kids, The Oregon Country Fair (I think) and businesses. Terry Kellogg talks briefly about creating a global movement.

And here is a sweet clip of a recent Jack Johnson at Red Rocks, Colorado (the most spectacular venue to see a show). Jack was member #51 and a big influence for us. bambu is member #151.

We’re looking forward to viewing and sharing the film and building the ‘give back’ to the planet community.

We’re in agreement with Yvon’s statement that,

‘everytime we make a decision that’s right for the environment, it makes us more money.’

Below he talks about sustainable business. It’s a subject he knows well, thanks to his years of innovation at Patagonia as well as his experience founding the organization One Percent for the Planet, an alliance of companies that pledge to donate 1% of revenues to environmental charities. bambu is proud to be one of the early members, and to have donated over $50,000 to people focused on protecting the environment.

Let My People Go Surfing is a wonderful account of how Yvon, through his passion, pursuit of excellence, and sense of the world around him, became an unlikely businessman.

Here he talks about sustainability with FAST COMPANY and to our surprise, about an unlikely ally: Wal-Mart.

We don’t fully share his positivity towards the mega-retailer. They’ve set some mighty ambitious goals and we applaud that. However, their recent Sustainability Report is received with mixed reviews. And the company’s mere megalopolis presence on the retail landscape creates enough impacts to be suspect.

From a different angle, we were really jazzed when Patagonia launched their newest communication tool last week. Patagonia clearly knows the value in communicating their message through innovative and effective channels. And The Shed is the newest coolest of these channels.

Patagonia – Sustainability from The Shed This is one of the hippest web environments we’ve ever visited. We want to go to these places, accomplish their feats, and marvel the environment in which these ‘ambassadors’ make their mark.

The Tin Shed is an interactive web application that combines the stories and dispatches of Patagonia’s sustainability ambassadors from around the world.

We loved watching the Waddington Steeps footage. WoW. Surfin Hawaii, Vintage images of the original Shed, the flyfishing pursuits, and the ambassadors that rip in in the Power of Jam.

Once again, a tip of the hat to the folks at Patagonia. You inspire us.