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Bamboo and its many sustainability benefits

Bamboo and its many sustainability benefits

Bamboo has many uses. When produced and used in in the right way bamboo has many possible environmental benefits. IKEA is increasingly using it as a raw material in its products.

Why we love bamboo

Bamboo is renewable, recyclable and durable – it’s a great material for many well-used products. Its strength also means that structural elements and boards can be made thin, so less material is used per product than with other materials, natural resources are saved, and transport costs can be reduced.
Did you know

That despite its size, bamboo is not a tree but actually a grass.
Green in every way

Green in every way

IKEA believes that climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Bamboo is a fast, naturally re-growing grass which rarely needs to be replanted once cut down. Young, green bamboo forests can help mitigate climate change since they bind CO₂ effectively as they grow.
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Science shows that bamboo can help control erosion, filter CO₂ out of the air and produce oxygen with its high growth rate.

Aurora Bossi
Sustainability Manager, IKEA
Bamboo facts:

Bamboo facts:

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

Did you know

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and as a young plant can grow up to one meter per day.

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.

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Did you know

There are 1,200 bamboo species in the world. But don’t worry, pandas don’t live where our bamboo is sourced.

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.

Forest Positive Agenda 2030

As pressure on the world’s forests is increasing, more remains to be done. Learn about the Forest Positive Agenda for 2030 – where IKEA will work together with others to enhance biodiversity, support the livelihoods of people who depend on the forest and mitigate climate change.
Learn more on the IKEA global brand site

Our materials

Wood
Wood
Plastic
Plastic
Metal
Metal
Wool
Wool
Cotton
Cotton