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Bamboo and its many sustainability benefits

Bamboo is a strong, adaptable material used in many IKEA products. We work with suppliers to ensure it is sourced and produced responsibly.

The hands of a weaver sitting down hand-weaving a bamboo lattice from long, thin strands of bamboo.

Why we love bamboo

Bamboo is strong, long-lasting, and easy to work with. Its durability allows us to make products that hold up well while using less material. We are adding it to more of our commonly used IKEA products.

That despite its size, bamboo is not a tree but actually a grass.

Hundreds of bamboo rods drying outdoors on shelves. The shelves on which they are drying are also made of bamboo.

Green in every way

We recognize that climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable grass that can be harvested with minimal replanting. When sourced responsibly, bamboo can contribute to climate goals by absorbing CO₂ during its growth. 

An outdoor pile of recently sawn, green bamboo stalks viewed from their ends. One of them broken in half.
“Science shows that bamboo can help control erosion, filter CO₂ out of the air and produce oxygen with its high growth rate.”
Aurora BossiSustainability Manager, IKEA
KNIXHULT table lamp with a woven bamboo shade, next to a small terracotta plant pot containing a seedling with three leaves.

Bamboo facts

  • Grows in a wide variety of environments and is adaptable and flexible
  • Generally doesn’t require fertilizers or irrigation
  • Grows extremely fast
  • Rarely needs replanting
  • Protects the land where it grows

Bamboo is a fast, naturally re-growing grass which rarely need to be replanted once cut down.

Two SINNERLIG lamps hanging above a selection of dark green, brown and grey tableware with a pine tree in the background.

Woven by hand, shaped by nature

IKEA products that feature bamboo are mainly made from two parts of the plant, the bottom and the middle. Lamellae are used for panels in accessories and furniture, and wickers are used for handicraft techniques such as rolling and weaving. Below are some examples of IKEA products made from bamboo.

NORDISKA small wardrobe containing some folded towels, some storage boxes and a couple of hanging garments.
The hands of a person using APTITLIG bamboo chopping board and a large kitchen knife to slice a zucchini.
Three DRAGAN boxes in different sizes on a bathroom shelf. In them are various toiletries and some toothbrushes.
Two KNIXHULT pendant lamps in a dining room. In the background are a bunch of flowers and a shelving unit full of tableware.
SALUDING laundry basket with a white towel hanging over the top. Beside it is a bamboo shelving unit.
A FULLSPÄCKAD serving tray loaded with various biscuits and muffins as well as some napkins. In the background is a teapot.
TENHULT step stool upon which is a glass of water and wooden bowl containing a book, a wooden ring and some dried leaves.
A BULLIG box filled with LP’s on the floor in front of a shelving unit. The shelves are filled with more BULLIG boxes.

There are over 1,200 bamboo species worldwide. The bamboo we source comes from regions outside panda habitats.

KÅSEBERGA cool basket made in woven bamboo and a cotton inside holding different vegetables, placed on a sandy beach.

Claims made on this the page come from the paper Yannick Kuehl, Giles Henley and Lou Yiping: “The Climate Change Challenge and Bamboo: Mitigation and Adaption”, INBAR working paper no 65.