Products Made From Bamboo

Bamboo has been called one of the most versatile materials in nature.

Bamboo is a form of grass that produces woody stalks with very high tensile strength that has very high fiber content. In addition to being strong enough to use as a construction material, having enough fiber to make things that normally use fibers from wood, cotton, or wool, bamboo is edible in its early shoot form. Bamboo can be used to make the dinner table, make the napkins on the table, and make the food placed on the dinner table.

Construction

There are many types of bamboo. Larger forms can be as main supports in buildings that use lightweight construction materials, such as grass or leaf roofs. They can often work as a roof truss system. Bamboo has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese wattle and daub architecture. In wattle and daub building, bamboo strips are woven to create a lightweight wall. In traditional construction, that bamboo is then covered with a mixture of water, mud, and cow manure. In more modern versions, mud is mixed with concrete. However, most contemporary construction now uses reinforced concrete rather than the older wattle and daub techniques.

Furniture

Bamboo can be used to make furniture that is very similar to rattan. As with rattan, bamboo furniture is lashed together to form tables, chairs, shelving, and even beds frames. Bamboo tabletops are sometimes made from bamboo strips, as are shelf surfaces and some chair seats.

Paper

Bamboo fiber has been used for generations to produce paper in many parts of Asia, including China and Southeast Asia. One group that makes paper using bamboo is the Yao of northern Laos. In Yao paper making, the outer green portion of the bamboo is stripped off, leaving the white, fibrous interior. Over several months, this inner material is pulped and spread on a screen where it cures into a sheet of paper.

Clothing

Traditional clothing, especially in rural parts of Asia, can be made by weaving bamboo fibers into rough, warm clothing. Bamboo leaves and thin strips can be made into hats that protect from both rain and sun. Modern clothing can be made from bamboo fiber by a process that separates bamboo cellulose from other components of the woody plant material. This cellulose, sometimes mixed with bamboo or other softened fibers, can be used to make clothes that look and act like rayon.

Food

The shoots of many varieties of bamboo can be harvested and boiled to make food. Although most bamboo shoots need to be boiled for about 20 minutes before they can be used for cooking or eaten directly, a few varieties can be eaten directly. Bamboo shoots are sometimes cooked with other foods and flavorings, pickled, cured in salt, or boiled and sliced, when the shoots are very fresh.

References

• Utah State University: Selecting Bamboo and Rattan Furniture
• University of Hawaii: Bamboo Paper Production and Religious Use by the Lanten Yao in Northern Lao PDR
• North Caroline University: Sustainable Textiles - The Role of Bamboo and a Comparison of Bamboo Textile Properties
• University of Georgia: Growing Bamboo in Georgia