[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The world’s estimated 2,400 giant pandas devour bamboo. In fact, they rely on this fast-growing, tree-like grass as their primary food source, with each panda gobbling 26 to 84 pounds per day.
But we humans also make use of bamboo, although it’s not the same variety as pandas’ favorite food. You’ll find
industrial bamboo in products such as flooring, furniture, food, clothing and biofuel. The
global bamboo market was valued at $59.3 billion in 2021 and is expected to soar to $88.4 billion in 2030.
Is bamboo a sustainable material?
So, some environmentally conscious consumers who buy flooring, furniture and other goods may wonder whether bamboo is sustainable. By and large, bamboo is sustainable. However, its appeal as a sustainable product depends on several factors.
To determine whether a particular source of bamboo is environmentally friendly, the World Wildlife Fund says you should ask these questions:
- Is the rate of the bamboo harvest sustainable?
- Are natural ecosystems being converted to bamboo plantations?
- Are harmful chemicals used to maintain bamboo plantations?
- What are the social and community impacts of bamboo plantations?
If you come up with eco-friendly answers to these questions, then the source of bamboo likely is sustainable.
What makes bamboo so sustainable? An article published in 2021 in the journal Materials Today: Proceedings outlines a number of things that contribute to bamboo’s sustainability:
- It requires little energy to grow.
- It curbs soil erosion.
- It creates wildlife refuges.
- It provides a source of wholesome food for animals and humans.
- It generates more oxygen than many other plant species.
- It traps high levels of climate-harming carbon dioxide emissions. (It’s worth noting that this purported benefit has been called into question.)
- It produces 12 times more green building material than wood.
- It can harvested and replanted within three to five years, compared with 25 years for trees. (Scientific American magazine puts those figures at seven years for bamboo and 30 to 50 years for trees.)
Are bamboo products always eco-friendly?
In some cases, though, the positive hype over bamboo may be overblown.
For instance, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that although “bamboo” textiles are often touted as environmentally friendly, the process of manufacturing rayon — even if it’s made from bamboo — may
involve the use of harsh chemicals.
“??There is virtually no actual bamboo fiber out there, so be highly skeptical if suppliers tell you their textile products are ‘bamboo,’” the FTC advises clothing retailers.
Furthermore, Popular Science magazine cautions that fake bamboo fabrics are showing up in fashion and textile products. A
2021 analysis by Good Housekeeping magazine found that among 10 clothing, footwear and bedding products marketed as containing bamboo, eucalyptus or beechwood fibers, lab testing turned up no trace of these materials in any fabric.
“While bamboo itself is a highly sustainable resource, bamboo garments may not be manufactured through sustainable methods,” concludes
Sports Casuals International, a maker of sports apparel.
Despite those drawbacks, Scientific American emphasizes that bamboo causes less environmental harm than conventional cotton laden with pesticides and nylon and polyester derived from petroleum.
The benefits of bamboo in home products
The nonprofit National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says that when you’re shopping for products made with bamboo, you should
make sure the bamboo was sustainably sourced. This typically means a product should be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
“Bamboo-based products can be sustainable alternatives to those using virgin wood pulp, though they’re not quite as low-impact as post-consumer recycled products or alternative fibers from agricultural residue,” says the NRDC.
While skepticism about bamboo abounds, the World Economic Forum boldly declares that this plant can “
help solve the world housing and climate crises.”
If its production is managed well, the organization says, bamboo can help satisfy global demand for affordable housing and contribute to slashing emissions from greenhouse gases.
Bamboo’s utilities as a housing material, according to the World Economic Forum, include:
- It’s cheap.
- It’s light.
- It’s strong.
- It’s relatively easy to transport.
- It’s naturally fire-resistant.
“Sustainability experts nearly universally agree bamboo is one of the best eco-friendly building materials on the planet,” says the
Smart Cities Dive news website.
Still, bamboo products sold in the U.S. are usually made of imported material. Therefore, transporting bamboo from where it’s grown, such as China and India, consumes energy. This makes bamboo “far less sustainable than it first seems,” says the
National Association of Realtors.
This is especially worrisome when it comes to cultivation of bamboo in China, home to the majority of the world’s giant pandas.
“Although bamboo is grown in lots of locations across the world, it is primarily grown for commercial use in China,” the Think of the Pandas website notes. “Farming is one of the leading causes of deforestation — and the increased demand for bamboo has contributed to this. This leads to a whole host of environmental concerns.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="168644" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1693949258899{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/glo-organic-bamboo-pads-with-wings-for-sensitive-bladder-normal"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="168645" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1693949278211{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/nootrees-bamboo-3-ply-toilet-paper-300-sheets-per-roll"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="168646" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1693949305475{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/patch-natural-large-bamboo-bandages-for-sensitive-skin-mixed-pack"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
