Comparison: Bamboo & Cork

The Differences & Similarities

Bamboo and cork flooring are considered to be at the forefront of environmentally friendly flooring. This is true for several reasons. The following are the most notable. Noting that bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth, that cork trees do not need to be felled for their cork, and that cork trees can live for as long as two centuries, our floorings is rapidly replenishable and environmentally sustainable. Without the use of special toxins or chemicals often employed to regulate various growing conditions, bamboo and cork do not pose the risk of spreading unwanted pollutants around the local environmental habitats. In addition, bamboo is the most efficient converter, next only to marine algae, in absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Similarly, because cork trees do not need to be chopped down to gather their cork, we use materials that do not contribute to disforestation; not to mention we are providing a quality alternative to those flooring products which do. Finally, our cork is made from recycled cork products, limiting waste. This gives our landfills and dumps, which pollute our soil and air, a real break, and continue to expand at an ever-increasing rate, a much needed reduction in waste. In sum, we feel that by providing bamboo and cork flooring, manufacturers like us are able to produce a quality product for the consumer – without compromising our glorious green Earth in the process – now what could be better than that?

Things to watch out for – i.e. cons of bamboo/cork flooring:

Bamboo has been said to contribute to deforestation because once it is grow, and not tended to, it can dominate an area, leaving much destruction in its path.

Most commercially used bamboo is grown in China. Thus, American users buying bamboo flooring are encouraging long distance shipping by boat or plane that burns lots of oil on the way.

For example, if a specific carpet is advertised as made with recycled fiber content, what does that mean? There are recycled fibers from post industrial material (carpet left over on the factory floor) and post consumer recycled content (old carpet being thrown away). So which of these materials is more beneficial? Post consumer recycled content is preferable because it is more likely to be diverted from our landfills.

Relevant Facts/Info:

A recent survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development finds that green costs are overestimated by 300%, as key players in real estate and construction estimate the additional cost at 17% above conventional construction, more than triple the true average cost difference of about 5%

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable.

Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation.

When new materials are employed, green designers look for materials that are rapidly replenished, such as bamboo, which can be harvested for commercial use after only 6 years of growth, or cork oak, in which only the outer bark is removed for use, thus preserving the tree.

Some US agricultural experts acknowledge the potential for bamboo to challenge cotton as the domestic fiber.

Comparison: Bamboo & Cork

The Differences & Similarities

Things to watch out for – i.e. cons of bamboo/cork flooring:

Relevant Facts/Info:

Recent Green Flooring & Environmentally Friendly Resources:

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