The Best Sustainable Material To Use In The Future

November 22, 2009 by ftsword37  
Filed under Green Tips

OK, so the Bamboo PC it was a gimmick. The laptop version of the bamboo PC launched last March at a computer fair in Hanover. It featured a laminated bamboo casing which was around a standard laptop, meaning that no less plastic was needed in making it.

Despite not having any major eco benefits to the bamboo computers, they did give a good demonstration of what can be done with a material that versatile.

Bamboo must be the only raw material that can be used as food, clothing and building materials. Even one of Edison’s original light bulbs had a bamboo filament. Because the material is so string, resiliant and cheap to use, it is used widely in building throughout Asia. Fibres from bamboo poles are extremely strong, it both tension and compression terms. Bamboo has almost the same tensile strength to weight ratio as steel, plus it has roughly twice as muhc compressive strength as concrete. And now there’s a bamboo laptop!

Products made of bamboo ticks most boxes for anyone buying green home furnishings. To start with, it’s hightly sustainable. There are some species of bamboo that grow more than a metra each day. Local people can cut down as much as they need for carving, weaving, sawing or splitting and still have as big a forest at the end of the year as they had at the start. As for the global warming problem, because bamboo is a plant, all products made out of the sustainable material contains a large amount of atmospheric carbon. The plastic equivalent of a bamboo product is worse for the environment as it actually adds to the levels of carbon in the atmosphere!

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. What this means is that you can be almost positive that a skilled craftsman has built the bamboo product you buy. If you choose to buy from a reputable source, you’ll also have the peace of mind that the craftsman has earned a fair wage from their work and not been exploited. The final thing is that you’ll be sure that the item you bought hasn’t gathered any air miles during its creation.

With eco credentials this strong, it’s a surprise bamboo built products are so beautiful. Picture a skilfully made bamboo box, lovingly lacquered with 15 layers of natural shellac. All natural and really stylish. I myself bought a fantastic, hand-crafted bamboo knife block and now I’m considering buying more bamboo bamboo knife block like salad bowls. Stylish and ethical. Win. ;)

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