Bamboo and its many benefits
Bamboo has many uses. When produced and used in in the right way bamboo has many possible environmental benefits. We are increasingly using it as a raw material in IKEA products.
Why we love bamboo
Bamboo is renewable and durable. It is an excellent material for many widely used products. Its strength also makes it possible to make structural elements and panels thin, allowing us to use less material per product compared to other materials.
Why we love bamboo
Bamboo is renewable and durable. It is an excellent material for many widely used products. Its strength also makes it possible to make structural elements and panels thin, allowing us to use less material per product compared to other materials.
Did you know
That despite its size, bamboo is not a tree but actually a grass.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and as a young plant can grow up to one meter per day.
Bamboo facts
- Grows in a wide variety of environments and is adaptable and flexible
- Generally doesn’t require fertilisers or irrigation
- Grows very quickly
- Rarely needs replanting
- Protects the land where it grows
How IKEA uses bamboo
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.
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.