What’s Bamboo?
Bamboo is a sustainable woody grass, so it’s not actually a plant or a tree. Bamboo belongs to the Poaceae family and there are over 1,400 species of bamboo. Bamboo is considered the largest grass in the world.
Bamboo is known for growing very quickly and is highly renewable as the root still grows after its been harvested. Bamboo is also very strong making it ideal to create various products with.
You may also be asking if bamboo is a wood? No it’s not technically a wood, bamboo is a grass.
What can bamboo be used for?
As bamboo is a fast growing and versatile material, it is used for various products such as furniture, construction, food, fabrics and environmental reasons which we’ll talk more about below.
Food
Bamboo shoots are edible and are used as a vegetable in many regions of the world, they are also sometimes used for food wrapping.
The shoot is harvested when about 15 cm above the ground. Bamboo can also be used to make vinegar, wine, and beer. Something to note is that bamboo has cyanide (canned bamboo is safe) so be sure to cook it properly.
Furniture
Bamboo’s considered to be a strong material so it’s ideal to use it for furniture, it’s more resistant to scratching, wear and tear damage and as an added bonus, bamboo’s resistant to insects and fungus.
Its stalks can be used for chairs, tables or beds. It’s often used as a sustainable alternative to wood furniture, and bamboo can be laminated or pressed into lumber, sheets, and planks for furniture making as it’s lightweight yet sturdy.
For those that are interested in sustainable living bamboo’s a great option for you as bamboo made furniture helps the environment a lot.
Construction
As bamboo’s sturdy and lightweight. it’s a great choice for construction. Such as scaffolding, ladders, bridges, flooring, etc. Bamboo has a higher tensile strength than many alloys and a weight bearing capacity that’s similar to timber, so its no surprise its used as an alternative.
Due to the fast growth it’s an ideal choice for houses, especially in the current shortage of houses, bamboo is a very good alternative.
Environment
Bamboo acts as carbon sink as they absorb up to 2X more carbon dioxide and releases more oxygen than your average tree. Bamboo also helps restore degraded lands and improves soil quality.
Bamboo’s extensive root system aids the restoration of degraded lands such as land destroyed by fire, it does this by growing in poor quality soil and improving the soil quality and It can do this, because bamboo’s very resilient and can grow in these harsh environments so its an obvious choice to aid eco-restoration.
Bamboo plantation projects aid reforestation and land recovery efforts. It’s a great material to use in countries with lots of landslides and bamboo charcoal can also help filter water to make it cleaner.
Is bamboo a renewable resource?
Yes! bamboo is highly renewable. After harvesting, bamboo can re-sprout from the ground without needing to be re-planted. Bamboo stalks can reach maturity within 3-5 years, which is faster than trees.
Bamboo can also be a good choice to use in the creation of clothing (could potentially be used to help combat fast fashion), recyclable tableware, and paper.
Conclusion
Bamboo’s a remarkable sustainable grass, it’s versatile enough to be used in building materials, furniture, and other products. Its rapid growth, biodegradability, and ability to absorb more CO2 make bamboo an eco-friendly choice. Bamboo can help restore degraded lands, and its strength rivals wood for construction uses. With continued innovation, there will definitely be more used for bamboo in the future.