Bamboo, long known by the Chinese as the plant of a thousand uses, was once viewed here primarily as panda fuel, fishing poles or Pier 1 patio kitsch. Now it's the trendy raw material of the moment in everything from textiles to flooring.
Consumers can buy bamboo T-shirts, linens, jewelry and furniture, plus the usual cutting boards and salad bowls. Manufacturers call bamboo "the new silicone" and "the new plywood."
But while consumers, retailers and pandas are ravenous for bamboo, not everyone is seeing green. Claims that bamboo is an ecological silver bullet are overblown, some environmentalists say. The quality of bamboo flooring and furniture can be inconsistent. And although the plant is plentiful, some consumer goods made from bamboo are not yet bargain-priced.
Bamboo, a type of grass, replenishes itself naturally. It sends up new shoots from its extensive root system, so it doesn't require replanting after harvest. One of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, it can be reharvested in three to seven years, compared with 10 to 20 for trees. Bamboo's long, durable fibers, stronger than cotton, are pulled from the pulp of the hard part of the stalk. The raw fiber from the stalk is split, broken down and spun into yarn.
When layers from the stalk are combined with glue in steps similar to the plywood-making process, it becomes harder than oak, nearly as strong as steel and resistant to heat and moisture, said Marilyn Stevens, head of merchandising at Room & Board. Both Room & Board and Crate & Barrel introduced bamboo furniture this year.
Bamboo has many appealing properties. Textiles made from it are more absorbent than cotton and naturally anti-microbial. Bamboo is softer and lighter than cotton and breathes well, making it an excellent material for bed linens. Since it wicks away moisture, sheets don't get as hot or feel as clammy, said Stuart Nemerov, former account manager for a large home-fashion distributor.
For furniture and flooring, Stevens said, processing bamboo from harvest to plank is more labor- and time-intensive than wood is, driving up its cost.
But buyers of textiles such as clothing and home accessories will find reasonable prices. Target's bamboo towels, sheets and bed pillows are all priced at about the same price as cotton. (Target's towels and sheets are 60 percent bamboo and 40 percent cotton.)
I found Target's bamboo towels to be extra-soft and absorbent, but they also snagged easily. The flat, woven pattern (dobby) puckered after one wash and dry. Durable they're not. The sheets, however, are luxurious. They're generously sized and soft. They sleep cool and wrinkle less than 100 percent cotton. I'd buy them again. A spokeswoman for Target said that the bamboo textiles are considered seasonal and will start disappearing next month. In other words, watch for them to go on clearance.
Problem or panacea?
As manufacturers get used to working with a material new to them, consumers have been the guinea pigs. While no one thinks twice about a bamboo food steamer, and bamboo cutting boards are sold at Wal-Mart, some problems in flooring have, well, surfaced.
The three-year-old bamboo floor in the Martini Blu bar in Minneapolis, for instance, is in rough shape. Marks and indentations have marred its surface from the outset. Residential installations may fare better with less traffic, but woodworkers talk of inconsistency in quality. Experts worry that some bamboo is being harvested too soon, while it's still soft. Even though it can be harvested after three years, some say bamboo needs five or six years to harden.
There have been problems with furniture, as well. At Room & Board, only a few of the 20 pieces originally offered are available in the Edina showroom. A couple of items were removed recently because of problems with magnetic closures, joint construction and warping. Stevens said it's not unusual for new product lines to undergo design adjustments. She said she expects the new bamboo items to return to the showroom by late summer with fixes made.
More study needs to be done before bamboo can be called an environmental silver bullet, says Jim Bowyer, a professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Bio-Based Products and an associate with Dovetail Partners, a nonprofit group in White Bear Lake that fosters sustainable forestry.
In a report published by Dovetail Partners last year, Bowyer said that forests are being cleared to make way for bamboo plantations, which he called a waste of existing resources.
Claims that bamboo needs only small amounts of fertilizer or pesticides overlook the fact that substantial use of both occurs in order to obtain the yields cited in promotional literature, according to the report. The U.S. Green Building Council, which recognized bamboo flooring as a green building material, is looking into that designation, Bowyer said.
Until the bugs are worked out, anyone buying bamboo products such as towels, shirts and sheets may want to check return policies. Those considering larger investments in flooring or cabinets should ask for referrals and confirm satisfaction policies.Minneapolis Star Tribune
