In Praise of Bamboo

IN PRAISE OF BAMBOO

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing, renewable resources in the world. It absorbs CO2 in large quantities. With its properties comparable to hardwood, bamboo is the ideal alternative to increasingly popular fossil-based materials (PVC, WPC) and unsustainably sourced tropical hardwood.

Below we will explain why bamboo is the most sustainable choice in every phase of its life cycle.

THE FAST GROWING HARDWOOD ALTERNATIVE!

The giant bamboo species belongs to the fastest-growing plants in the world. It reaches its final length of up to 65 feet within a couple of months (with a speed of around 3 feet a day during the growing season!). It takes the stem around 4-5 years to mature and acquire its excellent hardwood-like characteristics (hardness, strength, dimensional stability). This stands in stark contrast with hardwoods. These take over 50 years to mature and are increasingly scarce and often more expensive.

SUSTAINABLE BAMBOO FORESTRY

One bamboo plant consists of several poles. New shoots will grow from the mother plant every year. Typically, 20-25% of the poles in a sustainable bamboo forest or plantation can be harvested each year. Incredibly, this does not decrease the number of poles per hectare or 100 square acres! Unlike trees, the bamboo plant does not die after harvesting, eliminating deforestation. In fact, by harvesting the mature plants, the yield and quality of the plantation actually increase.

DURABLE = SUSTAINABLE

Durability is an important yet often overlooked aspect of sustainability. Simply put, the longer the product lasts, the longer it will take before it needs replacing, thus lowering the environmental impact. Durability greatly depends on the quality and characteristics (hardness, density, stability, etc.) of the product. When it comes to durability, bamboo products are unsurpassed, resulting in great sustainability.