The popularity is growing just as fast as the bamboo itself

It seems like a panacea, and they also notice that in Beverwijk, where Melger Hulsebos has been importing bamboo for years. The industrial hall is packed with bamboo poles. In all shapes and sizes. But now the company is also working on its own collection of modern bamboo furniture. People are also selling more and more flat plates that are used in the carpentry workshop.

Bamboo is a type of grass that not only grows very quickly, but also continues to grow indefinitely. If a bamboo shoot is cut after about 5 years, a new shoot will grow automatically. According to Melger, it is therefore an inexhaustible raw material. In addition, bamboo absorbs more CO₂ than wood.

But there are also disadvantages to it. Bamboo grows in the tropics so it has to travel a long way to get here. In addition, to make beautiful flat plates from the stems, a lot of work has to be done. Making these flat plates is not possible without glue. That does not alter the fact that it is still a sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood.

But things can go wrong, especially as a cotton substitute. Many chemicals have to be used for the so-called ‘viscose process’, in which new yarns are made from bamboo. And it is not always clear what happens to this chemical waste in production countries.

The interior builders in Beverwijk are increasingly seeing customers opting for bamboo. The material can be processed like wood. ‘It is easy to saw and mill’, says Wouter van der Wal, but as a real carpenter he thinks a piece of oak is more beautiful. “It’s still a matter of taste.”

Melger Hulsebos is pleased to see the bamboo trade growing. To meet the increasing demand, he is looking for opportunities to grow the plant closer to home.