Bamboo is truly one of nature’s wonder plants. It grows incredibly quickly, and yet the mature stem material is harder and stronger than most conventional hard wood timber. There are many different types of bamboo (over 1500 species worldwide). The type used for commercial production is the Mao or Moso bamboo (phyllostachus pubescens), which grows very tall and straight.

Bamboo, being a grass, has a netlike root system that prevents soil erosion and helps to protect river banks and prevent mudslides. Forests of Mao bamboo are cultivated in commercial plantations, using sustainable forestry practices. Mao bamboo is indigenous to eastern Asia and therefore has a more natural and reduced impact on local available water and soil resources. It can even be grown in soil that has been damaged by overgrazing and poor agricultural methods. No additional fertilizers, pesticides or other additives are required. The stems grow to their full height in about 2 years and reach mature hardness in about 4 – 5 years. New stems start growing every year, and are marked so that each stem’s age is known. This means that the oldest stems of each bamboo plant can be harvested every year, without depleting the forested areas. Deforestation and denuded landscapes are not an issue with the utilization of bamboo forests. Harvesting of each plantation typically follows a 4-5 year cycle, allowing the stems to reach full maturity before harvesting. This sustainable harvesting model has won international recognition.

Compare this with popular hardwood trees (e.g. Oak, Cherry or Teak) which typically take 40 – 50 years to grow to maturity. The harvesting of a mature hardwood tree invariably kills the tree. In contrast, a bamboo plant consists of many individual stems, and harvesting of some of the stems does not kill the plant. Large scale deforestation arising from the harvesting of hardwood trees is a global environmental issue, and is a contributory factor to global warming. Bamboo is a fast replenishable natural resource, suitable for sustainable utilization, and is a much more environmentally friendly and responsible choice of material than other types of hard wood.

In addition to their harvesting sustainability, bamboo forests absorb more CO2 per hectare than comparable hardwood timber forests. In fact bamboo plants absorb more CO2 during their growth than is released during the manufacturing process for bamboo boards and flooring. This means that such bamboo products actually have a net positive carbon footprint.

Panda Bamboo’s manufacturers have in place ISO14001 certified Environmental Management Systems. The ISO14001 standard covers such areas as obtaining raw material, production process, production environment and working conditions. Our bamboo products are manufactured with no or very low VOC (volatile organic compounds), and all our products comply with USA and EU environmental standards (CE certification and EU E1 emission standard rating). There is minimal wastage during the manufacturing process: waste from the cutting process is used to provide energy for the drying kilns; off-cuts not used for strand-woven bamboo manufacture are used to manufacture other products such as chopsticks, toothpicks and in the textile industry.

When bamboo flooring is installed in a living space it provides thermal insulation. Less heating is therefore required in winter, thus helping to make work and home environments more energy efficient and contributing towards energy savings. As regards recycling and waste management, bamboo is a natural product and also allows for easy disassembly, identification and biodegradability. Panda Bamboo boards are also shipped from China with minimum packaging on pallets or skids which are reusable.

Marble, granite and other types of stone are very popular for both flooring and kitchen counter tops. Many people, however, are not aware of the huge scars left in the landscape by the quarries and mines from which this stone is cut. Rehabilitation of such areas is difficult or impossible to accomplish, leaving a legacy of environmental degradation. By using bamboo instead of stone for flooring and kitchen work tops, the disturbance of our earth’s surface can be reduced.

Panda Bamboo is committed to environmental awareness and sustainable development – in fact we chose the Panda for our company name and logo because it is a globally recognized symbol of ecological and environmental conservation. Panda Bamboo donates a percentage of its annual income to South African and international environmental conservation efforts.