Bamboo Flooring- Is It Really Treehugger Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.05
Tipster Brad installed a bamboo floor and says “The environmental benefits are great, but the flooring itself is awful”. We have had mixed experiences with it ourselves and decided to look more closely.
Before we look at the environmental issues, let's look at its utility- is it all it is cracked up to be? One of the major benefits touted by vendors is how hard and tough it is. It’s Not. The popular carbonized darker bamboos are comparable to Black Walnut, considered a soft hardwood, and the lighter natural colours test comparable to maple. (colour is achieved not by staining but by heating, and the longer it heats the softer it gets) It is like any wood floor- it is damaged by dents, scratches and the killer of all wood floors, high heels. Jazzy aluminum oxide finish or not, it is a natural material that should not be marketed as being harder or more durable than conventional wood flooring. (::Hardwoodinstaller.com)
Is it environmentally better?
We summarize a remarkable report by Dr. Jim Bowyer for Dovetail Partners
Bamboo flooring can be green...
There is no question that bamboo is a renewable resource- it is a grass and grows very quickly. Where oak takes 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three. It is recognized as a green material under LEED and as they said in Environmental Building News, “Environmentally, it’s hard to argue with a wood substitute that matures in three years, regenerates without need for replanting, and requires minimal fertilization or pesticides.”
From a social perspective, 6 million people in China work in bamboo and 600 million people worldwide rely on income from it.
...but it isn't as green as it could be
However it is clear that bamboo is not necessarily being managed in a sustainable fashion. It is true that it naturally regenerates, but forests are being cleared to grow it and it is becoming a monoculture. Although it is claimed that fertilizers are not necessary, in fact they are being used to increase yield. Research quoted in the report:
“Recently, bamboo expansion has come at the expense of natural forests, shrubs, and low-yield mixed plantations . . . It is common practice to cut down existing trees and replace them with bamboo.”
“As forestlands tend to be in hilly and mountainous areas with steep slopes, clearcutting has resulted in an increase in erosion until the bamboo becomes fully established . . .”
“Natural forests in the vicinity of bamboo plantations have sometimes given way to bamboo as a result of deliberate efforts to replace them or because of the vigorous natural expansion of bamboo in logged over forests. This process has also had a negative impact on biodiversity.”
“The intensive management practices employed involve manual or chemical weeding and periodic tilling of the land to keep the soil clear of undergrowth. These practices increase erosion and result in single-species plantations over large areas.”
“The intensive use of chemicals (pesticides, weed killers and fertilizers) [associated with growing bamboo] also affects the environment . . .”
Bamboo flooring lacks credible certification, for now
Dr Bowyer points out that there is nothing comparable to FSC Certification, ensuring that the forest has been harvested in a sustainable fashion. (We note that FSC looked at this last year but have not seen any certifed bamboo yet)
Other issues to keep in mind when looking for bamboo flooring
- There is no Fair Trade certification, ensuring that the workers have appropriate working conditions and wages. Considering that it grows like a weed and is being manufactured by rural Chinese workers, and yet sells at prices comparable to local hardwoods, someone is making huge margins on its current trendiness. We think it should be the workers.
- Almost all bamboos have formaldehyde binders.
- It's mostly shipped from China, which flies in the face of our obsessions with local sourcing (although there is no local source so it gets a bit of a pass here)and import substitution.
However, like any material, not all bamboos are created equal. Toronto writer David Lasker points out that certain companies, like Teragren, make a point of addressing FSC certification (or lack thereof), Formadehyde (lower than every standard extant) supporting "farmers and their families by paying fair market value for our raw materials and by encouraging proper stewardship of this valuable resource." (Read more in Treehugger here)
Nor are all finishes the same. Canada's K&M /Silk Road says "Laminated bamboo is hugely less toxic than your typical carpet- Guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Carpet and Rug Institute call for carpets to emit no more than 0.5 milligrams of VOCs per square meter per hour. Vancouver-based Forintek Canada Corp., a wood-products research institute, has certified K&M's product at a virtually non-detectable .00563 milligrams."
Nor does it all come from China. Doug Lewis established Bamboo Hardwoods, and "opted to set up his own factory in Vietnam, in part because the farmers supplying him with bamboo own their own land and thus have an incentive not to harvest the shoots prematurely. Lewis also wanted control over conditions in the factory, so he could address environmental and worker safety concerns effectively." (buildinggreen)
In conclusion:
Functionally, it is not intrinsically harder or better than traditional floors.
Choice of supplier is important. You can't just pull it off the lumberyard shelf and assume that it is a green product- you have to check out the source. And you have to trust them, as there appears to be no third-party certification process.
While there are benefits accruing from using a renewable resource, until one can find an FSC or equivalent approval rating, a Fair Trade seal, formaldehyde free, it does not get five hugs from Treehugger.
Right now if we had to chose between bamboo and, say, locally cut FSC certified maple flooring, a strong case could be made that the maple is environmentally a better choice. And don't forget Marmoleum!
further reading:
Bamboom in Salon
See also: ::What's So Great About Bamboo? and ::Bamboo Flooring from Smith & Fong Earns FSC Certification
There certainly are effective and cost competitive substitutes for formaldehyde based binding agents. The same choices have to be made in the manufacture of pressed board and plywood, and indeed have been made by plywood makers already reviewed in TreeHugger. My speculation is that the Chinese fabricators of bamboo laminates either lack knowledge of alternatives or do not have convenient access to them. Parallels exist in other areas: China uses the dirtiest of coal generators for producing electricity, was slow to transition away from CFC's, showns little concern for the routine exposure of its workers to extremely high (by Western standards) chemical hazards, and was recently citicized for use of formaldehyde as a beer preservative! My default assumption is that literally anything made in China is dirtier, more hazardous, made less efficiently, and has a much poorer environmental "footprint:" in general than it can be and should be. I will stand corrected if others provide evidence to the contrary, but there's not much risk of that happening as no objective data source exists to prove otherwise.
i'm just curious about the comparison of bamboo to cork givin similar trade/production methods
The glut of bamboo flooring on the market also use very poor finishes, which scratch off far too easily. We use Terragren in our products, and they highly suggest site-finishing your floor, which will ensure you get the thickness of finish you really need.
Marmoleum also has it's problems. It's not as resilient or tough as vinyl flooring, and it has the non-local problem even worse than bamboo. The company actually gets most of their linseed oil (what it's made of) from Canada, ships it to Europe for manufacturing, and then ships it back to North America to sell.
There are compromises for most materials/products, But making an attempt to change convention is the first step, even if it's not perfect at first.
Please note that when you click to the link after the first paragraph you are reading a comment from a HARDWOOD ADVERTISEMENT!!! Bamboo is quickly becoming popular and although it may not be perfect it is definitely better than cutting down our forests!! No flooring is perfect and let us continue to perfect the bamboo market. If fertilizer is used for bamboo, so what, as long as it is ecologically sound. Fertilizer is a great way to use composte, manure, etc.
I am installing a new floor in an apartment and am choosing the pergo-click type with no glue. It was the cheapest brand at Home Depot. Manufacturers of green flooring remember not everyone can afford the ideal. Also, I don't want the best in an apartment. I want the best I can afford without giving everything to the landlord. With two dogs in a one bedroom, I found it cheaper to put in my own rather than move. I'm hoping the new click-in floor laminates that use particle wood were better than using full wood floors.
Thanks for this article. Great information!
I have been working with bamboo for about 25 years...I have been trying to stay true to ecological principles while working with bamboo...
it is true that in China in the pursuit of profit(fostered by orders by wal mart and home depot)the bamboo flooring made here in china is not ecologically as sensitive as made in vietnam...bamboo hardwoods and steen ostensen long ago pushed for more eco-friendly glues...but cost does factor in and increase the price...a prius costs more than a used yugo...
i make tables by hand that use eco sensitive glues..but it is impossible to compete as an american artisan when 6 million people work in china with bamboo,,,so i am now here in china
as an american environmentalist..doing what i can to share insights that i have learned in america..(north...south and central)...but comparing the government in china to george bush...I would give china a c plus and george bush et al an f and below...
any one interested in changing the paradigm should buy bamboo from vietnam...insist on eco -friendly glues...and come visit us where we have turned a former military base into a bamboo artisan village...we have space for 4,000...it takes time but we have no other choice than perseverence...because if china continues to imitate consumer america..we're *%&&&$#@##...
timothy ivory
http://www.bamboofurniture.com
http://www.megamiamibeach.com
I just installed a bamboo floor as well, and was a little disappointed with how soft it was after reading Teragren's site. It's definitely softer than the oak flooring the rest of the house has, and I'm not sure it's going to hold up very well in my kitchen. I'm not ready to condemn it yet, but it's not going to be pretty the first time I drop a can on the floor.
I used Greenwood bamboo, which has very low formaldehyde levels (similar to Teragren), and does offer a formaldehyde free variety for about 75 cents/sf extra.
I would recommend greenfloors.com if you're looking for flooring choices... They carry Marmoleum, cork, bamboo, and recycled carpets and padding. I've not tested this, but in theory if you send them a piece of your old carpet they'll tell you if it can be recycled and help you find a place that would take it.
Thanks for following up on my email guys. I totally appreciate the research done. I just wish I would have had it before I spent so much money and time installing it. I keep thinking it will look better once it's worn in a little more so the scratches that do exist (and there are far too many to count) don't stick out so much.
here are a few bamboo floor products that are formaldehyde-free (credit www.greenerbuildings.com):
Bamboo Mountain: www.bamboomountain.com
Green Floors: www.greenfloors.com
Bamboo Hardwoods: www.bamboohardwoods.com
I can't speak to anything about their production or longevity or anything- I've just come across them online.
My business of designing and building custom shelving systems is going well. Except for one major detail: I no longer want to use new material for my projects. I live in Toronto, Canada and I am really trying to get a method for which I can purchase reclaimed plywood, lumber, or anything that can be used for shelving. Please email me at idea@sympatico.ca for any leads on my quest. Thank you all.
Michael
I wish there was some place online that reviewed/compared/and contrasted Bamboo flooring on durability, appearance, over-all quality, and TREE HUGGER-ness!
Anyone know a good review site for different brands?
A few comments from someone who has been in the Bamboo flooring business for a while:
1) Many Bamboo flooring companies in the U.S. publish inaccurate information about the hardness of their flooring (read: Teragren). I have tested the hardness of many brands, and they are all roughly the same on the Janka scale unless they are made from high-elevation Bamboo or a species other than Moso (the most common). My hunch is that to get these inflated testing results, companies are performing the Janka test on the knuckle (aka node) of the Bamboo stalk, which is much harder than a majority of the floor. Moso Bamboo in its natural color is about as hard as Maple, and in the carbonized color is a little softer than Red Oak.
2) The non-formaldehyde glues that are high-performance enough for flooring are significantly more expensive. Since the glue is much of the production cost in China, non-formaldehyde products are far more expensive.
3) The non-formaldehyde glues that are good enough for flooring manufacturing usually contain isocyanate, which is good for the person in the home because it's inert (no off-gassing) when dry, but it's very toxic for the workers at the mill (much more toxic than the formaldehyde-based glues). By insisting on non-formaldehyde glues, Americans we may be avoiding a tiny environmental hazard by creating a much larger one for workers in other countries. That's why European flooring manufacturers generally refuse to switch to non-formaldehdye glues - they are protecting their workers.
4) Modern, high-quality formaldehyde-based glues result in products with emmissions levels far, far below many other building products. Bamboo flooring made with these glues should result in formaldehyde emmissions of less than 0.010 ppm. Many Bamboo brands are below that (see Teragren, EcoTimber, Greenwood).
5) Be wary of claims made by companies that say "non-formaldehyde." Some use that language just because the product meets certain legal limits. Ask for testing data.
6) Most bamboo plantations in China are very old and are not encroaching on natural forest. In fact, there is very little natural forest left in China, but population growth and agriculture for food are the primary causes of deforestation.
7) Bamboo from Vietnam is not by definition coming from more sustainble practices than Chinese Bamboo. I have seen Bamboo plantations in Vietnam that employ heavy use of herbicides, chemical fertilizers, etc. There are good and bad plantations in both countries.
8) Most Bamboo flooring mills buy their Bamboo raw material from a huge array of sources, so be wary of claims by American "manufacturers" (in reality, they are all just importers) that claim that their Bamboo stalks come from sources that are in some way environmentally superior. One of the only real differentiators is that high-elevation Bamboo is more likely to come from natural forests than standard Moso Bamboo from lower elevations, which is almost exclusively plantation grown.
9) Many complaints that you hear about Bamboo flooring have to do with inflated hardness claims by manufacturers, low-quality finishes, and inadequate kiln-drying that results in shrinkage, warping, etc. in service. Bamboo is an excellent flooring material, if it's well made and sold honestly.
10) If you live on the West Coast and buy an Oak or Maple floor (which comes from the East), there is more embodied energy in that product than a Bamboo floor made near the coast in China and shipped over the water. Ocean freight is simply that much more efficient.
11) There should be a third-party certification such as FSC for Bamboo, and we should all push for it. If you don't like Bamboo, buy FSC-certified hardwoods (see EcoTimber).
In response to John Laumer's general comments about manufacturing in China: It is true that many Chinese manufacturing facilities are horrible polluters and don't adequately safeguard their workers from toxins and other hazards, but to generalize that Chinese products should be avoided for this reason is simplistic. In fact, some of the most modern, best-run flooring mills in the world are on Chinese soil, many of whom have ISO 14000 certificaion, which requires that they tightly control their waste stream, pollutants, etc., and provide for the health and safety of their employees. Many European and American flooring mills can't even come close to ISO 14000. Just because it's made in the U.S. doesn't mean the factory is responsible. This issue has to be looked at on a case by case basis.