With more than ten thousand different uses, bamboo is versatile, renewable, clean, green and abundant. What’s more, it holds the key to many climate change and sustainable development solutions. What’s not to love? ISO’s expert committee for bamboo has just published its first International Standard to support the industry’s growth, contributing to a better world for all.

Strong, practical, renewable and nutritious, bamboo is one of our world’s most useful resources, yet most of its potential remains grossly untapped. Dating back to the Han dynasty of ancient China over two thousand years ago, its use has gone from making paper and treating diseases to the thousands of everyday items we see around us today.

Offering outstanding physical and mechanical properties, it can be used to make bedding, flooring, construction and building materials, furniture, kitchenware, musical instruments… and more. In doing so, it also creates employment and sustains livelihoods in many developing countries. To top it off, bamboo plants emit more oxygen and absorb more carbon dioxide than many other plants, making them some of the most effective tools against climate change.

Recognizing the need to support the growth of the bamboo industry, ISO’s dedicated expert committee has just published its first International Standard, with many others in the pipeline. ISO 21625, the first standard of ISO/TC296, Vocabulary related to bamboo and bamboo products, outlines the internationally agreed and recognized terms and definitions in the industry, providing an essential baseline for greater understanding and cooperation.

 The standard ISO 21625  is an essential foundation for the industry, providing a platform from which it can most effectively grow.  Future ISO/TC296 standards will cover bamboo floorings, bamboo charcoal and rattan.