Go Green In Stages

Bamboo - A sustainable environmentally friendly material

Bamboo has become one of the darling materials of the green movement and rightly so.  It is a material commonly used by over half of the world’s population as a building material, as food, as a fuel and even clothing. Bamboo is also commonly used in furniture making.    Bamboo is actually a species of grass and not a wood.  Worldwide there are over 1200 different species of Bamboo.  Here are some of the reasons that a large part of the world uses bamboo and why the green movement regards it so highly.

Bamboo is Sustainable

Unlike conventional timber, bamboo is extremely fast growing.  It can be harvested in 3 to 5 years instead of the 15 or 20 years for hard timber.  It is the fastest growing plant on earth and can grow up to 3 feet a day in some cases.  It also provides 35% more oxygen than a conventional timber stand.  It does not need to be replanted because it will grow from its existing root system.

A Versatile material

Bamboo is so versatile that there are over 1000 uses for it. It has a tensile strength greater than steel and is harder than oak or maple.  As a wood substitute it helps to alleviate the pressure on traditional forest products by offering an alternative.  It does not swell or shrink making it ideal for furniture, flooring and kitchen accessories. Best of all, this eco-friendly material grows without pesticides or chemicals.

An Eco-Friendly Alternative

For a selection of items made from bamboo check out our Kitchenware Section.