How eco-friendly is bamboo?

How Eco-Friendly Is Bamboo?
Bamboo is making waves as an eco-chic new fabric, and growing environmental
awareness has also boosted interest in bamboo flooring, building materials and
furnishings. But just how earth-friendly is this resource?

http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/How-EcoFriendly-Is-Bamboo.html

Q. I’ve noticed that bamboo is very trendy right now, apparently for
environmental reasons, in part. Can you enlighten?

– Eric M., via e-mail

A. Bamboo’s environmental benefits arise largely out of its ability to grow
and spread quickly — in some cases three to four feet per day — without the
need for fertilizers, pesticides or much water.

A bamboo grove also releases some 35 percent more oxygen into the air than a
similar-sized stand of trees, and it matures (and can be replanted) within seven
years (compared to 30-50 years for a stand of trees), helping to improve soil
conditions and prevent erosion along the way. Bamboo is so fast-growing that it
can yield 20 times more timber than trees on the same area. There are some 1,000
different species of bamboo growing in very diverse climates throughout the
world, including the southeastern United States.

Today, heightened consumer environmental awareness has given sales of bamboo
clothing, flooring, building materials and other items a huge boost.

As an attractive and sturdy alternative to hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring is
tough to beat. According to Pacific Northwest green building supplier Ecohaus,
bamboo is one of the firm’s top selling flooring options and is harder, more
moisture resistant and more stable than even oak hardwoods. You'll also find
bamboo window shades, bamboo room dividing screens and bamboo furnishings.

Bamboo is also making waves in the clothing industry as an eco-chic and
functional new fabric. Softer than cotton and with a texture more akin to silk
or cashmere, bamboo clothing naturally draws moisture away from the skin, so
it’s great for hot weather or for sweaty workouts. It also dries in about half
the time as cotton clothing. Look for bamboo bedding, towels and rugs, too.

Some critics point out that the process of converting bamboo to fabric can take
a heavy environmental toll, with the most cost-effective and widespread method
involving a harsh chemical-based hydrolysis-alkalization process followed by
multi-phase bleaching. The Green Guide counters, though, that bamboo still has a
much lower environmental impact than pesticide-laden conventional cotton and
petroleum-derived nylon and polyester fabrics. And some brands including Gaiam
are sourcing bamboo fabrics made with lower-eco-impact methods including
stringent water purification steps.

Bamboo is also making inroads into the paper industry, though there are fears
that too fast a transition there would threaten ecologically diverse bamboo
forests across Southeast Asia and elsewhere. The Earth Island Institute, among
other groups concerned about forest loss due to paper consumption, would instead
like to see more research into using agricultural waste to make paper instead of
wood pulp or bamboo.

Regardless, bamboo in all its forms might one day soon be one of the most
important plants in the world.