Bamboo has been used as a building material for centuries in Asian countries. Structurally, it can be stronger than concrete and many types of traditional hardwood materials and also much more flexible, as well as very affordable. But bamboo is also one of the most eco-friendly building materials we have, and it is slowly catching on in western countries as homeowners and people in general start to grow more environmentally conscious. Here are the top three reasons why bamboo is one of the greenest natural resources we have.
1. The Bamboo Growth Cycle
Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. It is a type of grass with a short life-cycle that allows people to harvest bamboo shoots without causing damage to the ecosystems of the bamboo forests. In one day, a bamboo plant can grow up to 60 centimeters (23.6 inches) on average. Some species have been recorded to grow up to 121 centimeters (47.6 inches) in one day. Bamboo plants achieve their full height and thickness in one growing season, which is usually 3 to 4 months.
After their second year, bamboo shoots continue to harden, shedding early sheath layers as they grow into mature bamboo plants. After 5 to 8 years, bamboo shoots decay and die. The plant roots however, remain alive and sprout new shoots after the old ones die, shoots that will grow even bigger than the old ones. Sustainable bamboo harvesting can be done between the 3rd and 7th years of a bamboo’s life cycle. Hardwood forests, on the other hand, can take over hundred years to recover after being logged.
2. Bamboo Forests’ Yield
A bamboo forest can yield twenty five times more building material in a single harvest than the material you’d get from logging a regular hardwood forest. This means there is plenty of bamboo to go around. This is also why prices for bamboo are generally much lower than most hardwood. Just one bamboo stand can produce something like 200 poles over five years, which is roughly the same amount of time it would take just a single hardwood tree to grow big enough to be used as a building material.
3. Good for the Planet
Bamboo plants are resilient and are great to use for reforesting an area of cut-down land. Bamboo plants, with their batches of bamboo shoots, produce roughly 35% more oxygen than an equally-sized cluster of regular hardwood trees. Make sure to shop for bamboo products (whether it’s fencing or flooring) that use water-based, formaldehyde-free adhesives.