Bamboo panels

Bamboo panels are are made from gluing together small stripes of bamboo cut from very large stems.

The stripes can be horizontal or vertical and different finishes (carbonized, bleached and others) give it a different color.

Bamboo panels have become popular as a high end alternative to plywood, although the sustainability profile is often worse than that of plywood made from local wood.

This is because bamboo plywood is not made out of sheets but stripes, it requires as much processing as plywood, but it is only produced in Asia.

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The life cycle	Pro	Con
	Low footprint Bamboo grows 3 times faster than hardwood. It produces more on less land. FSC ply bamboo is available	High energy Bamboo panels have a similar energy intensive manufacturing process to plywood, MDF or particle board. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that have low embodied energy Bamboo stems Construction site wood Reclaimed wood Scaffolding wood Second hand particle board Used pallets
		Long distance Unless it's grown locally, bamboo has to travel a long way. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are local Northern hardwood
	Non toxic Beacause of it has green reputation, ply bamboo is often available in low VOC or formaldehyde free versions that use non toxic resins.	Costly Bamboo panels can blunt instruments easily, carbide blades are recommended (1). Also, ply bamboo can be costly in itself if the quality is good and it is made with low VOC glues. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are low cost Bamboo stems Construction site wood MDF Non FSC wood OSB Particle board Reclaimed wood Scaffolding wood Second hand particle board Softwood Used pallets

	Non toxic Beacause of it has green reputation, ply bamboo is often available in low VOC or formaldehyde free versions that use non toxic resins.	Short lifespan Although bamboo panels score very well on hardness tests, they are quite vulnerable to dents and humidity Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that have a long lifespan Northern hardwood Scaffolding wood Tropical hardwood

		Difficult reuse Bamboo panels are strong but not as durable as plywood, because they are made of many thin stripes rather than wood sheets. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are easy to reuse Northern hardwood Reclaimed wood Scaffolding wood Tropical hardwood