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Is Bamboo flooring Greenwashing?

I am following a question on the Green Building Products Linked in group that someone else posed. I asked about FSC bamboo. Here is a very interesting reply. It looks like a life cycle analysis of bamboo flooring is on order....

• Group: Green Building Products
• Subject: New comment (8) on "Why is Bamboo flooring considered a green floor? Sure bamboo is a sustainable in it's raw form, but shouldn't we take into account the toxins in the glues and solvents used to make the final product?"

I created a green building product rating system a couple years ago that is being used by manufacturers and retailers all across the US. This has got to be the #1 question I get. There are a few points to consider when determining the Degree of Green(R) of bamboo flooring:

1. Human Health - most bamboo flooring materials contain added urea formaldehyde in the adhesives that bind the product together...some are free of added urea formaldehyde. ALSO, containers shipped from China are routinely sprayed with pesticides, which can cause severe reactions to those with chemical sensitivities.

2. Environmental Heath - All bamboo comes from SE Asia, which means massive carbon emissions to transport to the US. No good study has been done on the environmental impact of the bamboo harvesting industry.

3. Sustainability - Yes, bamboo grows fast. However, farmers in China are clear cutting thousands of acres of trees to plant bamboo, since the US is so bamboo crazy. Not to mention, traditional bamboo flooring is not nearly as durable as we all thought it was when it came out 10 years ago. Exception given to the new strand woven product. Although, one can argue that the strand products are basically a mixture of bamboo and plastics. Not very green.

4. WIld Cards - Do the Chinese companies pay a fair wage? are they using child labor? What pesticides DO they use? etc, etc.

Regarding VOC's - Please understand that VOC's are only regulated by the EPA because some of them can react with nitrogen and UV to create low-level smog. VOC's are not all hazardous to humans. If you peel the skin off of an orange, you'll be subject to many more VOC's that you'd find in any bamboo floor. Not all VOC's are toxins...not all toxins are VOC's. Inside a home, we should be much more concerned about the toxicity of the products we use, not the VOC content.

IMHO, bamboo flooring is greenwashing in its purest form. But if you like the look of it, then buy it. But don't fool yourself into thinking its a green floor.
Posted by Andrew Pace

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