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Bamboo is a natural and ecological resource with endless applications. Already in the ancient eastern civilization it was used in many aspects of daily life. It can even be said that, in one way or another, bamboo was part of the life and culture of the Asian people. And it continues to do so, in the form of supplying building materials, music, heating, clothing or furniture, and food.
In today's global world, bamboo also plays a leading role as a sustainable resource in the most varied fields, from those mentioned to other innovators that seek to obtain energy through the use of photosynthesis.
Despite the fact that in many environments it is still considered a material associated with poverty (in some places it is called "poor man's wood"), the rediscovery of its great potential is in many cases preventing it from being replaced by plastic or other polluting materials.
Not surprisingly, it is a sustainable resource with great applications, which do not stop emerging, making it a firm commitment to the future that, in many cases, is already a reality. Next, in Green Ecologist we show you some of the main uses of this eco wood, known since time immemorial as the "magic plant". Keep reading and know everything about bamboo: the thousand uses of a sustainable resource.
Building material
With bamboo we can build houses, sheds, fences, walls, scaffolding, pipes, pillars, beams, aqueducts, furniture and many other objects and utensils. It is a renewable material, which grows much faster than conventional woodhe and offers technical advantages as its resistance to mechanical forces, since it gives more security than steel or iron, it insulates, it is not sensitive to humidity and it does not rust either.
Among other uses, taking advantage of the main stem of bamboo It is a very hard and strong wood as well as flexible, it offers a good construction material to build houses. Its use to fortify reinforced concrete is an example of its enormous potential in this sector, especially considering that it requires fewer energy resources, and produces a lower environmental impact, than conventional materials, such as brick or cement, let's say case.
Make objects
Bamboo can be worked like wood and is a key raw material in numerous manufacture of designer products and also in craft traditions. Gadgets, covers for mobile devices, bicycles, furniture, toys, floors, curtains, household utensils, decorative figures or, for example, flower pots and baskets can be made.
If the central parts are used in the construction, for the manufacture of different biodegradable utensils (tablecloths, disposable tableware, etc.) those stems and finer fibers are suitable.
Natural food
Dissected, canned or in the form of fresh shoots, they are consumed as a condiment or garnish, without forgetting their use to prepare fermented drinks. Therapeutic properties are also attributed to it. In general, bamboo shoots are edible, but those of Phyllostachys pubescens are especially appreciated. Tradition says that it tastes like a mixture of apple and artichoke and has the nutritional properties of onion.
Translated into nutritional elements, they are rich in potassium and vitamin A, as well as containing up to 17 amino acids. Regarding medicinal uses, ancient customs say that two slow cooked egg yolks in fresh bamboo straw create a liquid that would help asthma, hemoptysis from respiratory tract injury and hemorrhoids, while the high silica content has properties poison control.
Fen Shui decoration
In addition to purify the atmosphere, like any other plant, bamboo gives a lot of play for decoration according to the principles of feng shui, whose principles are based on ancient Chinese culture to improve the feeling of well-being through good energies.
The bamboo It is one of the plants that can most improve the Feng Shui of your home, at the same time an art and science. Specifically, positive energy will flow and we will lengthen our life if we choose plants such as the lotus flower, which represents truth and purity, or Chinese bamboo, longevity.
And, be that as it may, there is no doubt that it gives a zen touch to our home, whether indoors or in the garden, with the advantage of being easy to maintain. On the other hand, it helps to avoid desertification since its roots prevent the rains from washing away the earth, and therefore it can serve to protect edible or ornamental plants from the wind. Therefore, it constitutes an interesting element for the design of bioclimatic houses.
Bamboo textiles
The versatility of bamboo doesn't stop there. It also serves to develop textiles with ecological fibers, which are used both for bedding, underwear and all kinds of clothing and fashion accessories. Among its properties, textiles are very soft, absorbent and antibacterial.
Produce energy
Generating energy with bamboo beyond its use as biomass, both thermal and electrical energy, has an important use in areas where energy is a resource with prohibitive costs for the industry. In addition, at an environmental level it is positive because this also fights against deforestation.
Taking advantage of the photosynthesis process, science does not stop carrying out projects to seek efficiency with the aim of producing green energy from it. Within these initiatives, an investigation by Electrical Engineering students from the National University of Colombia has achieved the conversion of bamboo into energy. Although it still produces a modest 8 volts, it is enough to charge a mobile phone, and the work aims to apply this mechanism on a large scale.
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