Bamboo products of all sorts have burst onto the scene in recent years. Touted originally as a go-to sustainable alternative, the green qualities of bamboo are being questioned in an effort to make sound environmental choices for the home.
Bamboo As A Sustainable Product
Bamboo has been used for centuries as a food source and for furniture-making. In the last few years it has become ubiquitous as an ecologically superior fashion item, showing up as flooring, clothing, linens and dishware. Originally touted as a green product, it seemed to have all the qualities needed to qualify as a sustainable building block. It was fast-growing, reaching maturity in three to five years, thereby eliminating the need to use old-growth forests. It is extremely strong and hard, a plus when fabricating furniture or flooring. It feels somewhat like silk and works beautifully for clothing, draperies and linens. It also naturally wicks moisture away from the body and has natural antibacterial qualities, making bamboo linens and clothing a pleasure to wear and use. From a green, environmental opinion, bamboo offered more options for sustainability than most other products.
Issues Regarding Bamboo's Green Attributes
Even with its positive attributes of fast growth and multiple uses, bamboo has come under fire for several issues relating to sustainability and environmental friendliness. The majority of bamboo sold in the United States at this time comes from China. There is very little transparency in the sourcing and the manufacture of this product. There is also the issue of shipping products from such a distance and the attendant pollution it involves. There have been worldwide reports of bamboo producers clearing forests to plant bamboo since it has become such a popular alternative. There are also concerns about fertilizers and chemical being used in the planting and growing process. Because of the large scale production taking place, the profits often bypass the laborers and land in the hands of middle men, thereby flaunting fair labor practices and negating living wages for those doing the most work.
These issues are compounded by the current manufacturing processes in place. In flooring, excessive amounts of resins and glues, including formaldehyde, contribute to off-gassing of chemicals into the air and home. In textiles, much bamboo is processed using the same system as manufacturing rayon which introduces chemicals and heavy metals into the finished product.
Making Smart, Green Bamboo Choices
As with any product on the market today, education and inquisitiveness pay off when choosing which items are worth an investment. Any new purchase is fraught with questions of fair employment and manufacturing processes, sustainabiity of production, and direct and indirect impacts on the environment. When choosing bamboo products there are some ways to ensure quality while making smart environmental choices.
When choosing bamboo products there are some catchwords that help. Fabrics may be listed as bamboo rayon, bamboo lyocell or simply bamboo. Lyocell is a manufacturing process in which chemicals are more environmentally friendly and reused. It is a much greener option and will show up as Lyocell or as Tencel. Flooring products produced in the United States fall under stricter guidelines for chemicals that offgas and will often be better choices than those that arrive from other countries as finished products. Often companies offering bamboo products will list their products as "can be sustainably produced". This is much different from "sustainably produced". Look out for phrases that give insight into how a product was produced. When in doubt, any company or website that touts their products as green or sustainable or Fair Trade should be able to back up those claims to any consumer's satisfaction.
Bamboo, even with its' attendant issues, qualifies as a factor in LEED certification. It is considered by the United States Green Building Council to be a green product. By selectively choosing the most sustainably produced products on the market, consumers can make bamboo a product that is truly environmentally friendly.