Is Bamboo The Timber Of The 21st Century?

With large scale deforestation occurring at an alarming rate along with the associated rise in global climate change, the situation around the world is tense. Increasing concerns over food security, water availability and an ever increasing pressure on the planet for finite resources is pushing entrepreneurs, businesses and governments to develop innovative solutions to address these growing concerns.
Timber forms an essential raw resource for various industries which produce items that as humans we have come to utilise and rely on daily. But our forests cannot sustain the increase in demand for these products driven by exploding populations and the rise of a global middle class with increased spending power.
A postgraduate from Yale University and an expert in forestry and forestry related climate change, Camille Rebelo came up with a unique model of making bamboo the timber of the 21st century. She, along with serial entrepreneur and businessman Troy Wiseman launched EcoPlanet Bamboo in 2010, to industrialise this plant to produce a sustainable, deforestation free fibre that can provide an alternative resource for our daily needs. They urge the population to be aware that the majority of products that we use daily, from toilet paper to packaging to some of our clothing, still come from the unsustainable harvesting of old growth natural forests, and invite the new generation of consumer to switch to sustainability certified bamboo as an alternative fiber, with the simple motive of putting an end to deforestation.
The great thing about bamboo is that it can be harvested sustainably without killing the plant and therefore can potentially provide an endless source of raw material that can be used to make a wide range of products, more than anyone could imagine.
Since Camille Rebelo and Troy Wiseman are trying their best to turn bamboo into the “tree free”, “deforestation free” timber of the 21st century with their initiative EcoPlanet Bamboo, let me brief you on what things can be made from bamboo under this new concept of bamboo fiber as an industrialized and realistic fiber. Here goes the list-
For Manufacturing Paper Products
Every year a large number of trees are cut down to manufacture paper products. Some of these trees that we use for toilet paper take more than 100 years to grow. The right species of bamboo can be used to produce toilet paper, tissues, cleaning paper as well writing paper, cards and different types of packaging.
Disposable Coffee Cups
Although also a paper product this is amazing – the world throws away billions of cups from coffee shops every year. Bamboo fiber can be used to grow all of these, making them a sustainable renewable product.
For Manufacturing Diapers
Disposable diapers can be made with bamboo. And instead of taking years and years to regrow like the current source of trees, the same bamboo plant will keep producing raw fiber each and every year, so long as it is managed correctly!
For Manufacturing Textiles
Bamboo can not only replace rayon and viscose which come from trees (yes our clothes come from trees!) but also cotton. Bamboo fiber has a unique antibacterial property and it uses way less pesticides, fertilizers and land to produce each ton of raw material. Bamboo can be used for clothes, sheets, towels and more!
For High End Construction Products
Bamboo flooring has been gaining popularity over the past years, but recently technology has become available for bamboo to be made into products that can replace timber. These include structural products, door and window frames, outdoor decking and more! If the bamboo is certified these bamboo products are sustainable, renewable and are beautiful as well.
For BioEnergy
Timber is used on a large scale to produce energy using everything from pellets to charcoal to biofuels. But, did you know bamboo can be used in the same way – its fiber has similar properties and an almost identical calorific value. Plus it’s renewable!
There are hundreds of other uses but just switching out wood for those above and replacing it with bamboo that has been grown only on degraded land, is certified as sustainable AND is renewable, would have a huge impact on the planet!
Positive Economic Impacts
With more research on the potential for bamboo to be used in major markets and for everyday products, the economic impact of the same is rising. This in turn is leading to the emergence of more new and cleaner technologies, innovative solutions and the turning of a full industrial wheel. From the traditional use of bamboo only for handicrafts, baskets and flooring, the last few decades have witnessed the production of pulp for paper and textiles, veneers, plywood, composites and many 2nd and 3rd generation products. The 21st century has resulted in the development of bamboo as an entirely new and high tech industry.
Bamboo can offer a large number of advantages and as more and more research is being conducted, the way to grow and manage the plant, its benefits and the true potential of its products are coming to the forefront. One must admit that EcoPlanet Bamboo is doing a great job in having laid the framework for there to be a global resource of sustainable and certified bamboo resource, and for urging the world to replace timber from natural forests with the environmentally friendly option of their bamboo. If you are still using some wood products, toilet paper from trees or drinking coffee in disposable cups, start thinking of replacing it with products made from EcoPlanet’s Bamboo and help Camille Rebelo and Troy Wiseman in their initiative of turning bamboo as the timber of the 21st century.
Bamboo can be a huge part of the solution to address the growing need for wood and fiber if it is grown properly. It seems like EcoPlanet Bamboo has made a positive start to accomplishing a mammoth task!
Awesome work EcoPlanet Bamboo! Providing market solutions to the issue of deforestation.
Seen it used as scaffolding, tied with bits of string. Try doing that in UK!
Tried to sell it as a flooring manufactured plank, pattern was a bit busy for London houses. Hard to replace smooth grained timbers like oak, etc.
Learn more about the products that EcoPlanet Bamboo is working to replace with a sustainable bamboo fiber at: https://www.ecoplanetcorecarbon.com / https://www.epblaboratories.com
I like the fact that bamboo can be harvested sustainably without killing it. This is very important to ensure a steady resource for years to come.
Bamboo is underrated on these parts but in my country it is used in almost anything. From furniture to even clothes. Yes some clothes are made from its fiber.
It seems bamboos are the best way to restore the energy. Yeah, the whole world is affected by climate change and Global warming. If any measures like this are possible to reduce the effect then that will be most welcomed by everyone.
I have been hearing a lot of the potential of bamboo in our coming future industries. It’s really great to see alternatives to timber, the future looks promising.
Bamboos are really helpful! They are probably underrated and they can make other things.
Yes! I do believe bamboo is the future. In fact we use it to build small homes in our farm. We use it for cooking too.
It seems that bambu products can replace those made with trees, which sounds like a good alternative. I would like to see those products soon on the market.
Bamboo holds a lot of promise, sure but I think it’s too early to call it the timber of the 21st century. Aesthetics-wise, it still has to find a niche within traditional construction designs.
Well I would definitely be willing to switch to sustainability certified bamboo as an alternative fiber. I think that if everybody (or at least the majority) of the population did this, it would make a huge positive impact on our environment.
Any resource that can be harvested sustainably without killing it is worth taking a deeper look into. This could not only provide us with an ongoing resource with multiple applications, but it also can reduce our costs.
I support Camille Rebelo and Troy Wiseman in their quest to turn bamboo ino the timber of the 21st century. After reading this article it sounds like a no-brainer to me.