Although the bamboo computers won’t make a huge difference to the environment, it did prove how versatile material really is.

Bamboo must be the only plant on the planet that is a source of food, works as building materials and woven fabrics. Even Edison used bamboo in one of his early lightbulb designs. Its strength and low price tag makes it a great material for building, particularly in parts of Asia where it’s used as scaffolding. The fibres within bamboo poles have both high tension strength, as well as high compression strength. It’s compressive strength works out around twice that of concrete, bamboo also has the same tensile strength to weight ratio as steel. Now there’s even a bamboo laptop!

Bamboo ticks lots of boxes for anyone buying eco-friendly home furnishings. For a start, it’s a highly sustainable raw material. There are a number of bamboo species that are able to grow over a metre each day. Local people can cut down as much as they need for carving, weaving, sawing or splitting and still have as big a forest at the end of the year as they had at the start. As for the global warming question, because the bamboo is a plant, anything that’s been made from it contains a large proportion of atmospheric carbon. However, the plastic equivalent to a bamboo products actually adds to the atmospheric carbon levels, rather than taking away!

Another point is that because bamboo is a plant source, there are many variations between two plants, these variations make it a difficult material to use in a mass production process. What this means is that you can be almost positive that a skilled craftsman has built the bamboo product you buy. If you choose to buy from a reputable source, you’ll also have the peace of mind that the craftsman has earned a fair wage from their work and not been exploited. The final thing is that you’ll be sure that the item you bought hasn’t gathered any air miles during its creation.

With eco credentials as strong as these, it’s amazing how beautiful bamboo products are. Picture a skilfully made bamboo box, lovingly lacquered with 15 layers of natural shellac. Both stylish and natural. In the last few days, I picked up a beautifully hand-crafted bamboo knife block and I’m seriously considering purchasing other bamboo kitchen accessories like fruit bowls. Stylish and ethical. Win.