WOODCARVING & ACCESSORIES

The Best Sustainable Material to Use in the Future

OK, so the Bamboo PC it was a gimmick. A laptop version of the bamboo PC was released at the Hanover computer fair last March. The laptop features a laminated bamboo casing which surrounds a rather basic computer, that alone won't make much of a dent in the amount of plastics around the world.

But it was a little demonstration of what can be done, and, if proof of bamboo's versatility were required, consider it proven.

Surely bamboo must be the only plant that is a source of building materials, clothing and food. One of the early light bulbs created by Edison used bamboo. Its strength, resilience and cheapness make it a widely used scaffolding material throughout Asia. The fibres of bamboo poles have high strength both in tension and compression. It's compressive strength works out around twice that of concrete, bamboo also has the same tensile strength to weight ratio as steel. Now there's even a bamboo laptop!

Bamboo ticks lots of boxes for anyone buying eco-friendly home furnishings. For a start, bamboo is an extremely sustainable material. Some bamboo species are able to grow more than one metre every day. The locals that live close to these fantastic plants are able top cut down as much bamboo as they need while still having the same sized forest at the end of the year as they did at the beginning. On the global warming question, since it comes from a plant source, any bamboo product contains a significant part of its weight in atmospheric carbon. Any plastic equivalent has added to the atmosphere's carbon level!

Another point is that because bamboo is a plant source, there are many variations between two plants, these variations make it a difficult material to use in a mass production process. You can be pretty sure that a craftsman has produced any bamboo item you buy. Also, if you were to buy from a reputable source, you'll have peace of mind that the craftsman got a fair share of the profits. Finally you'll be sure that the product you buy hasn't accumulated air miles in its journey from craftsman to your home.

With such strong eco credentials, it's amazing that bamboo products are so beautiful. Just picture a hand crafted bamboo box, layered 15 times with natural shellac. Both stylish and natural. I myself bought a fantastic, hand-crafted bamboo knife block and I'm seriously considering purchasing other bamboo kitchen accessories like fruit bowls. Stylish and ethical. Win. :)

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