Tag Archive for: benefits

Is bamboo fabric really eco-friendly?

The manufacturers and retailers of bamboo clothing and textiles are singing its praises. They say this wonderfully soft fibre is so eco-friendly, you’re saving the planet just by wearing it. Too good to be true? Probably.

Following our recent blog post on the sustainability of bamboo as a wood alternative, we are looking at bamboo fabric with the same objectivity. So what do we already know about bamboo as a fabric?

Bamboo fabric is super soft, strong and lightweight.
It has good drape characteristics and allows the skin to breath making it ideal for clothing.
Bamboo also imparts it’s absorbent and anti-bacterial properties into its fabric form which is great for medical uses.
Plus textiles made from bamboo require less energy to wash and dry than other natural fibres.

Doesn’t that all sound fabulous so far? It almost reads like an advert from a retailer of bamboo clothing…

However, as with any resource or product, we need to look at the entire process – from harvesting to retailing – to understand the impact on the environment. It’s worth noting at this point that nothing has zero impact. When you cut down a tree or harvest a cotton crop there is an energy cost and direct effect on the immediate environment (“Hey, where’s my tree gone?” said the squirrel). Among other things, sustainability considers how that cost is balanced against providing income and education for farm workers and how easy it is to replace or regrow a resource.

Eco-recap on growing bamboo

Whilst there are energy costs associated in its transportation, the production of bamboo can be super-sustainable:

It grows at a fast rate, absorbing C02 from the atmosphere as it matures.
Growing in its natural environment, bamboo does not require irrigation or pesticides.
Bamboo production supports small-scale farming in areas that are too inaccessible for large machinery.
It has a larger utilised biomass than cotton i.e. more product per plant per acre.
Once harvested, bamboo continues to grow so there is less destruction that leads to soil erosion.

Well, this sounds even better! Bamboo is great to grow and its great to wear. Sign me up!

But between plant and product, there is a significant area that needs exploring before bamboo can claim it’s eco-credentials.

Turning bamboo into fabric

Bamboo is not naturally soft. It’s a hard, woody plant that requires significant processing to turn into a textile. There are two methods for this: chemical and mechanical.

Chemical production of bamboo fabric

Those of you currently wearing any bamboo clothing may wish to slip into something with a higher cotton content whilst reading this.

The leaves and stalks of bamboo are effectively cooked-up in a vat of toxic chemicals including carbon disulfide, chlorine and sulfuric acid. Because it isn’t a closed loop system, the resulting cocktail, that is a risk to the environment, gets into waterways and landfills. Plus, these chemicals pose serious health hazards, including neural disorders, for the workers employed in the manufacture of bamboo fabric using this method.

Great.

This manufacturing process is neither eco-friendly nor sustainable. And it’s this method that produces the silky soft, wearable fabric that gets bamboo all that positive attention.

Mechanical production of bamboo fabric

Good news is that the mechanical method is more eco-friendly than the chemical method (but it would be difficult not to be). The bad news is that it is more expensive. The woody bamboo is crushed and left to ferment in a mushy mess using natural enzymes that break down the fibrous structures. The natural fibres are then mechanically drawn out and spun into yarn. This process is basically the same for making textiles from flax or hemp and the result is a linen-like fabric. It’s labour intensive and produces a low yield of fabric.

The reality is the vast majority of bamboo textile is not organic. Or at least any claim it has in being a truly organic fibre has limitations. Bamboo fibre can be organic – but it’s rare, expensive and unlikely to be fully traceable.

Bamboo and China

Any commodity, where it’s production is overwhelmingly dependant on China is not sustainable. China has one of the most unregulated markets in the world and hardly the best track record on workers rights. Plus a significant pollution problem. So even if bamboo is a better crop for the environment that does not automatically make it sustainable. At least not yet. China is stepping up with new environmental policies, mostly in response to the smog issues across its cities. So perhaps there is hope yet for Chinese bamboo to save us all. If only if wasn’t on the other side of the planet…

Here’s a handy infographic on bamboo

Bamboo infographic

It’s easy to be defeatist. Trying to make good, sustainable choices for our businesses and personal selves sometimes feels impossible. We, as consumers, often only have access to the information that retailers want us to know about their products. The result is we are sometimes left feeling naive, conned or like a failure when we’ve tried so hard to make the right choice.

But the positive in all this is just that – choice. Is bamboo fabric a better choice for the environment than organic cotton from a fair trade source? Maybe, maybe not. Is it better than polyester? Yes. Can bamboo production help protect deforestation in South America? Yes. Is the farming of bamboo across China likely (if not already) to be exploited if the west continues to view bamboo as a magic bullet? Probably. Is it a competition of bamboo vs cotton? No. Is it about making informed decisions? Yes.

The use of bamboo is a step in the right direction. It shows we are looking for alternatives. But bamboo, certainly for European consumers, shouldn’t be considered the final destination of that search. It’s a stepping stone in our journey towards sustainability.

Trends

Is bamboo sustainable for use in interior design?

The driving force behind any construction material is how cost-effective it is. Sadly this often results in practices that exploit the environment including the people used in the production process. With growing concerns over the impact of humans on our environment, bamboo is potentially one of the success stories. But is bamboo sustainable enough?

Why is bamboo sustainable?

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant. Incredibly, some species grow up to 1.2m per day! The plants can reach a harvestable height within 3-5 years. So whilst wood is still a renewable resource, trees used in the timber industry will take between 20 and 60 years to reach suitable felling heights. Bamboo has a higher yield because it “outgrows” trees.

When you cut down a tree for its wood, you kill the tree. When you cut down bamboo, it continues to grow as the base and roots remain intact. This helps prevent soil erosion often associated with deforestation. The continual growth of bamboo also means it is continually taking carbon from the atmosphere. Plus bamboo forests spew out more oxygen than hardwood forests by 30%.

Bamboo happily grows in inaccessible areas where it wouldn’t be possible to farm timber such as slopes and smaller plots of land. It grows in abundance across Asia and is sometimes seen as a problem plant because of its fast-growing and prolific nature. Furthermore, growing bamboo in its natural habitat means its production also has a much smaller impact on the local ecosystem including no requirement for irrigation or fertiliser.

Because of its suitability for small-scale farming, bamboo also supports local economies and their small, independent farmers. Communities are safe from deforestation or exploitation by logging corporations as well. Bamboo can be cut by hand eliminating the need for energy-consuming machinery.

Bamboo also has potential as a biofuel. It is a high-carbon material and so is an obvious choice for converting into a biofuel. India is leading the way by using bamboo as a biofuel due to the plant’s abundance in its northern region. Whilst its use as a fuel is still in an experimental stage, it has the potential to contribute to greener fuels industries.

How does bamboo compare to hardwood as a material?

Bamboo is waterproof meaning it is easier to clean and has better stain-resistance than hardwood. This is a great plus when using bamboo as wooden flooring. Whilst all wood has antibacterial properties, bamboo is particularly so making it “cleaner” overall when compared to normal wood.

Hardness is an important factor when considering a construction material. For wooden flooring, the hardness of the wood effects how durable the flooring is. The hardness of wood comes from its fibre density. Hardness is measured using the Janka Hardness Test. This equates to the force required to embed a steel ball half its diameter into the wood.

Natural bamboo has a hardness of 1300-1400 which is comparable to birch (1260), beech (1300) and oak (1360). Carbonised bamboo (heat treated to darken its natural colour) has a hardness of 1000-1100 which is still hard than pine (870).

Bamboo scaffolding is the norm across China but bamboo can even be an alternative to steel for reinforcing concrete. So regardless of the question is bamboo sustainable, it’s certainly extremely versatile.

Is bamboo a real alternative to wood?

What are the environmental impacts of bamboo?

Bamboo cannot be grown on a significant, sustainable scale outside of Asia so all of the bamboo products in use in the West are imported. Around 80% of bamboo is grown in China, so there is the emission cost in transporting it around the globe to Europe and the USA. However, the environmental impact of shipping bamboo across the Pacific may not appear all that bad. It is comparable with logging transportation across the Americas, including within the USA itself.

Asia has less regulation than western nations regarding the use of pesticides and other chemicals used in the farming process.

With the demand for bamboo increasing so too is the financial temptation. Local farmers may choose to destroy local habitats in order to increase bamboo growth opportunities.

When asking is bamboo sustainable, it isn’t just the growing and harvesting that requires consideration. The ease with which the material can be transformed into a usable product is important too. As bamboo is a slender plant it requires additional processing to create planks. Timber can quickly be cut into ready-to-use planks. Bamboo needs to be glued together and that requires an adhesive – which is an additional chemical. There is also an additional energy cost to consider especially if the bamboo is carbonised to create a darker shade. However, there is less wastage unlike when turning timber into planks.

Bamboo as a textile is a bad idea due to the significant chemical use in its production.

There is no official grading system for the quality of bamboo used in flooring or furniture so quality-control of a final product may also be an issue. You can look for the FSC logo on a bamboo product which will mean that it has come from a more sustainable source.

Conclusion

Whilst there will always be an impact with using natural resources, it’s important to understand the relative impact each material has so we can limit or even mitigate the environmental costs. So, is bamboo sustainable? Well, it can be and where you are on the planet is a big factor. The use of bamboo in western countries may ease the rate of destruction of the rainforest in South America. But if all it does is shift the deforestation to other places on the planet, then there is no real benefit. As with any natural resource, it needs proper management otherwise it will become no different to the hardwood forests.

Discover ideas for using bamboo plants in your interiors from our blog post artificial bamboo tree inspiration.

Floresy Products, Industry, Trends

Benefits of Artificial plants in commercial spaces

Benefits of Artificial Plants in commercial interiors

For some, the concept of artificial or faux plants in their interiors seems counter-intuitive. Others may think of them as cheap or obviously fake. Apart from the high-quality and near-identical appearance of modern artificial plants to real plants, there are many benefits of artificial plants as well.

In addition to these benefits, plant maintenance can be a significant overhead for many hospitality businesses – especially those who opt for botanically themed interiors. Water accounts for 10% of utility bills for most hotels and that’s without the labour costs associated with plant maintenance.

Low Maintenance

Artificial plants are very nearly zero-maintenance. They do not require pruning, watering, feeding or pesticides. In fact, all you need to do is occasionally dust you artificial plants. But you need to dust natural plants too, especially big-leaved varieties.

There are no dead flowers or leaves to remove or sweep up and neither is there any soil to be spilt. Plus there is no risk of any water accidentally causing a slip hazard.

Low maintenance means you can reduce your overheads.

Suitable for any location

Artificial plants will tolerate any condition. Low light levels that would otherwise see off natural plants like fig trees and palms pose no issue to an artificial or faux plant.

Artificial Ficus liana exotica tree from Floresy will not droop or lose its leaves.

Indoors real plants also need to be able to tolerate central heating and air conditioning which can quickly dry them out. You can place an artificial plant next to a radiator and be reassured that it will not wilt.

The benefits of artificial plants also include being able to place them in relatively inaccessible places. Such as suspending them from a ceiling or even just on a particularly high shelf. Because you do not need to water them, you can place an artificial plant where they are out of reach without making maintaining them problematic.

Suitability means you do not have to compromise on achieving the desired ambience for your customers.

Storable

Don’t need that artificial plant at the moment? Pop it in the cupboard until you do. Unlike their natural counterparts, you can put an artificial plant into storage until when it is needed next. Just like a Christmas tree.

This is a great benefit for venues who host events or weddings and need to be able to conveniently change layout and decor of a room for each booking.

Storable means the artificial plant is an asset that can be reused again and again.

Condition

Artifical plants will not shed their leaves. Their flowers will not fade. When you purchase an artificial plant from Floresy it will stay looking exactly the same all year round. It will not outgrow it’s pot not need pruning to maintain its shape.

Condition means that you will not have to reinvest in your plant solutions.

Flexibility

It’s much easier to move artificial plants than real ones. Artificial plants are more robust than real plants. They are also generally lighter in weight due to the planter or pot not containing soil. This portability is another one of the benefits of artificial plants.

Flexibility means you can more readily adapt your interiors to suit your needs.

Non-Allergenic

Whilst there are many benefits from having real plants in your spaces, it’s important to remember real plant negatives too. Some plants are triggers for allergy sufferers. Sometimes the plants themselves or the pollen their produce is the irritant. But for some people, it is the use of chemicals in the maintenance of real plants that cause the reaction.

Artificial plants are hypoallergenic. You can also sanitise them using cleanings products that you could do use on an organic plant. Because they do not require maintenance, there is no need for pesticides or insecticides either.

Non-allergenic means happier customers and happier employees.

One of the benefits of artificial plants means no allergic reactions to flowers or pollen.

Artificial plants offer real solutions for businesses. This is either in the form of lowering their overheads or in the flexibility of using faux plants. You use them on their own to create permanent displays. Or combine them with real plants to achieve the right balance between cost, benefits and style. For more information on how artificial plants can help with your business’s interiors, please give Floresy a call on 0208 0770891