Bamboo – flooring that can be green, but not all bamboo is green.

 I have talked about this idea of eco-myths before, but let’s review:

Bamboo is only as green as the company that makes it, the process that produces it and the underlying methods that harvest it and ultimately bring it to market.

I have seen a ton of “manufacturing facilities” that would shock the average flooring shopping at how crude they are. It should come as no surprise on the heels of dozens of high profile China recalls that there are some folks that do not operate state of the art companies. My message is to be aware. This is not a slam on China – they make alot of great stuff and they make alot of bad stuff. You just have to trust that someone is looking out for you. The tough part of this process is that many people don’t even know what to look for or what questions to ask! (harvesting methods, pre-treatment chemicals, handling & storage, formaldehyde, emissions, etc… etc…)

I realize it may seem counter intuitive to think that bamboo of any kind may not be green, aka sustainable, earth friendly, etc.. – but it is a fact. I have pasted some photos below for fun.

The Bamboo Lumber Yard

The Bamboo Milling Machine

A Bamboo Truck with incoming shipment.

(FYI: This is not a supplier we use, but they do export to the United States & Canada.And yes, for you purists out there I am aware that the photos indicate a very low “power” consumption, but let me assure you that you can not product a quality product without some electricity.)