LIVING WITH BAMBOO

Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable resource that has been used for millennia. Almost every part of a bamboo plant can be used to make a staggering variety of products. Its fibres are stronger than wood fibres and are less prone to warping, making it an ideal material for constructing houses and bridges.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable resource that has been used for millennia. Almost every part of a bamboo plant can be used to make a staggering variety of products. Its fibres are stronger than wood fibres and are less prone to warping, making it an ideal material for constructing houses and bridges.

<b>photo</b> 123RF
<b>photo</b> 123RF

In a time when deforestation and global warming are becoming an increasing threat on the environment, here are some reasons why bamboo is a more sustainable option:

• It’s a renewable resource. Bamboo can be harvested in one to six years, depending on the species, whereas trees take anywhere between 25 years (softwoods) to 50 years (hardwoods) to mature before they can be harvested. An estimated 18 million acres of forest are lost each year, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. By choosing bamboo, we can help to reduce the number of trees being felled each year.

• It has a fast growth rate. Bamboo is one of the world’s fastest growing plants. Certain species can grow 91 cm within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 4 cm an hour! It is easily cultivated and will grow a new shoot from its extensive root system when harvested.

• It reduces greenhouse gases. Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide and releases 35 per cent more oxygen into the air compared to hardwood trees.

• It produces very little waste. After harvesting, virtually every part of the plant can be used. The versatile bamboo can be moulded into furniture, flattened into flooring and paper, or made into chopsticks and fabric.

• It’s pesticide-free. Most of the world’s bamboo comes from China, where it is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilisers.

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