Chinese people love bamboo, and there is a saying that “you can eat without meat, but you can’t live without bamboo”. my country is one of the largest bamboo-producing countries in the world and has abundant bamboo and rattan biological resources. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization has also become the first international organization headquartered in China.
So, do you know the history of the utilization of bamboo in our country? In the new era, what role can the bamboo and rattan industry play?
Where did the “Kingdom of Bamboo” come from?
China is the first country in the world to recognize, cultivate and utilize bamboo, known as the “Kingdom of Bamboo”.
New Era, New Possibilities for Bamboo
After the advent of the industrial age, bamboo was gradually replaced by other materials, and bamboo products gradually faded out of people’s vision. Today, is there still room for new development in the bamboo and rattan industry?
At present, plastic products are increasingly threatening the natural environment and human health. More than 140 countries around the world have clarified policies to ban and limit plastics. “Replacing plastics with bamboo” has become the common expectation of many people.
As one of the fastest growing plants in the world, bamboo can grow quickly in 3-5 years. It may take 60 years for a 20-meter-high tree to grow, but it only takes about 60 days to grow into a 20-meter-high bamboo. Ideal renewable fiber source.
Bamboo is also very powerful in absorbing and sequestering carbon. Statistics show that the carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests is far higher than that of ordinary trees, 1.33 times that of tropical rain forests. my country’s bamboo forests can reduce carbon emissions by 197 million tons and sequester carbon by 105 million tons each year.
my country’s existing bamboo forest area exceeds 7 million hectares, with rich varieties of bamboo resources, a long history of bamboo product production, and profound bamboo culture. The bamboo industry spans primary, secondary and tertiary industries, including tens of thousands of varieties. Therefore, among all plastic substitute materials, bamboo has unique advantages.
With the development of science and technology, the application fields of bamboo are also expanding. In some market segments, bamboo products have become an ideal substitute for plastic products.
For example, bamboo pulp can be used to make environmentally friendly and degradable disposable tableware; films made of bamboo fiber can replace plastic greenhouses; bamboo winding technology can make bamboo fiber replace plastic pipes; bamboo packaging is also becoming a part of some express delivery The company’s new favorite…
In addition, some experts believe that bamboo is the most sustainable building material and has great application potential in countries all over the world.
In Nepal, India, Ghana, Ethiopia and other countries and regions, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization has organized the construction of a large number of demonstration bamboo buildings suitable for the local environment, supporting underdeveloped countries to use local materials to build sustainable and disaster-resistant buildings. In Ecuador, the innovative application of bamboo structure architecture has also greatly enhanced the influence of modern bamboo architecture.
“Bamboo has more possibilities.” Dr. Shao Changzhuan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong once proposed the concept of “Bamboo City”. He believes that in the field of urban public buildings, bamboo can have its own place, so as to create a unique urban image, expand the market, and increase employment.
With the in-depth development of “replacing plastic with bamboo” and the further application of bamboo materials in new fields, a new life of “inhabitable without bamboo” may be coming soon.
Post time: Apr-11-2023
