Bamboo Bamboo Everywhere, Even on The Ceiling
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12. 8.06
Bamboo is everywhere now, even in our undies, but at some point it just gets silly. Manufacturer Armstrong says that this bamboo ceiling tile "creates a natural exotic look sure to warm up any space" They continue:."Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource - it is a grass that grows back when cut, making it environmentally friendly, sustainable and a natural way to help contribute to LEED® credits." We wonder how a heavy ceiling tile made from material shipped from China is environmentally better than a lightweight locally manufactured one, (or no ceiling tile at all) but that's LEED for you. Perhaps we are at a point with architectural bamboo where we have too much of a good thing. ::Armstrong Woodworks
I think this product is a good example of something that is using environmental cred for something other than helping the environment! How can it be that good for the environment with so many miles under its belt?
That's the dilemma with a lot of bamboo.
Like hemp, it's a good under-utilized material. To make it more popular and get people to grow it here, people need to buy it now. But what is available now comes from far away.. A chicken and egg problem.
Well, if it would be used to replace what would otherwise be a wood panel ceiling, it may not be all bad. It appears to be a veneer laminate product, which means Armstrong is probably just sourcing the veneer from China. I'm not sure where they assemble the whole product. A bigger question is what substrate are they putting it on? Is it recycled content, formaldehyde free MDF? Is that an option if it isn't? Sounds like a call to the local Armstrong sales rep is in order...
A large portion of American plywood actually comes from China already, using raw material from Southeast Asia and the Americas. Therefore, the economies of scale are already in place.
Manufacture of this product in the US would actually be LESS efficient. Since the world's biggest demand for new building stock is in Asia, not the US, it makes sense for building material manufacturing to be centered there.
What the world DOES need less of is crappy chipboard/fibreboard/plastic furniture that we throw out every couple of years.
I understand that ceiling tiles like these are serving probably a purely aesthetic function, but I think they originally evolved from the need for noise abatement while maintaining access to whatever is above them.
If a company wanted to go green with tiles, I'd say make some out of renewable fiber woven over recycled cellulose (or one of hundred other options).
Positive note for Armstrong - they will take back their old mineral-based ceiling tiles for recycling.
Wouldn't the whole 'shipped from China' issue apply to anything made with imported bamboo? Why would this criticism apply to Armstrong's bamboo ceiling tiles, but not (for example) your bamboo undies?
As for formaldahyde, the US is the only major country in the world that continues to permit it in plywood. Even China bans it, although they make it over there solely for export to the US.