Since the Industrial Revolution, people have gained the ability to exploit a large amount of resources, and the linear production and consumption model has gradually become the mainstream: this "acquire, make, and discard" system is the root cause of most environmental problems that endanger human society and ecosystems, from plastic pollution to , climate change to the reduction of limited material reserves. In the 1960s, some people began to see the problem. Kenneth Ewart Boulding wrote in his paper "The Coming Economics of Spaceship Earth" that "the Earth is a lonely spaceship without infinite matter. "There is a reserve that is neither mined nor polluted, and humans must return to their place in the ecosystem cycle and reproduce materials." In 1972, the Club of Rome published "The Limits to Growth", which stated that "the Earth's natural systems, on which humans live, are being depleted over the long term, and even advanced technology may not be able to sustain economic and population growth rates after 2100."
In response to these concerns, the concept of circular economy was born: "designing industrial systems to be restorative and regenerative so that economic activities are no longer dependent on the consumption of finite resources" (World Economic Forum et al., 2016). The circular economy is seen as one of the ways to address environmental issues such as climate change. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that transitioning to a circular economy could generate economic benefits of up to €1.8 trillion for the European Union and $4.5 trillion for North America by 2030.
"Cycle" is a pattern that has existed in traditional societies and continues to occur in nature. In traditional society, resources are not easy to obtain, so the maintenance and repair of tools, animal husbandry, and farming must all consider long-term (sustainable) operating models. In nature, plants and animals grow and reproduce, and after death, they are decomposed by fungi and microorganisms. Each type has its function and each has beneficiaries who utilize these resources. Taiwan has been promoting garbage sorting and resource recycling for many years, and everyone is familiar with it. Resource recycling and reuse is one of the paths of the circular economy, but it is actually a path that consumes relatively more energy and loses more resources. For example, if a product is made of a variety of metals, plastics, and glass, it needs to be disassembled and separated before it can be reused, which requires a considerable amount of manpower and energy. And due to inevitable impurities, most of the recycled raw materials can only be downgraded for use. Therefore, just recycling is not good enough. The goal of the "circular economy" is to consider more efficient and energy-saving practices in all aspects, including design, manufacturing process, and usage.
The "circular economy" divides product cycles into two types: "industrial cycle" and "biological cycle". Bamboo, as a "biomass material", has room to play in both cycles. In the "biological cycle", the characteristic of biomass materials is that they can eventually return to the land as fertilizer and nutrients, but before that, they can be used as materials, food, feed, or converted into energy. Through multi-level utilization, the benefits can be maximized. change. In the "industrial cycle", it is divided into mobile products and durable products. For short-term use of mobile products, using biomass materials as raw materials is conducive to decomposition. As for durable products, if the products can continue to perform their functions through parts updates, repair processes, second-hand markets, etc., it will be a better way than turning into garbage or resource waste.
A bamboo product that complies with the concept of circular economy should achieve the following goals：
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The product has a long enough lifespan, at least long enough for the resource (bamboo) to regrow: Bamboo grows quickly, so depending on the purpose of use, it can be renewed in one to four years.
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Able to replace non-biological materials: for example, steel. Substituting wood also has market and ecological benefits, but in terms of the goal of a circular economy, more emphasis is placed on replacing non-biological materials.
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100% bio-based
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Can be reused over multiple product cycles: for example, it can be reused after partial repair.
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At the end of its use, it can be biodegraded or otherwise safely combusted to produce energy.
1.Durable bamboo products
In a circular economy, replacing non-biomaterials (such as steel) and limited resources (such as hardwood from rainforests) with renewable biomass alternatives is one of the important means, and this is where bamboo can play a role. Industrial bamboo products such as building materials and furniture can replace scarce natural resources such as metal, stone and tropical hardwood. These can be roughly divided into raw bamboo material applications and engineering bamboo material applications.
Raw bamboo requires less processing and consumes relatively less energy. However, the inhomogeneous nature of bamboo tubes poses great challenges to mechanical processing and mass production, and depending on the different anti-corrosion treatments, it may also cause environmental pollution. Standardization of raw bamboo structural performance is a key factor in promoting bamboo buildings, and relevant reliable data and regulations have yet to be developed.
Engineered Bamboo Materials effectively solve the problems of raw bamboo heterogeneity and durability. Some products even have better mechanical properties and weather resistance than hardwood. Due to the huge market for hardwood, engineered bamboo, which can be used as an alternative, has considerable market potential. However, the process of manufacturing engineered bamboo is energy-intensive and often uses large amounts of adhesives, which creates an environmental burden and makes the material difficult to recycle. Adhesives, coatings, etc. based on biological matrices need to be developed.
2. Short-cycle bamboo products
In addition to durable products, bamboo can also be used to manufacture a range of short- to medium-life products, such as disposable tableware, textiles, and paper. However, many of the raw materials in this field are originally biomass materials, so the contribution of substitution is not significant.
In order to replace plastics, the market for bio-based plastics continues to grow, and bamboo is one of the resources that can be used, such as bamboo disposable tableware and toothbrushes. However, many products actually combine bamboo with synthetic materials. For example, the bristles of bamboo toothbrushes are usually still made of plastic (there are also a few that use biomaterials). Some products may have harmful adhesives added to them. Some products are composite materials. There are difficulties in recycling and decomposition. Changing the disposable habit is a more environmentally friendly approach.
Rayon refers to fibers that are artificially remade from cellulose from wood and bamboo. As for natural clothing materials, cotton production involves issues such as pesticides, water and energy consumption. In comparison, bamboo is easy to plant, grows fast, and has a short renewal cycle, making it a raw material with considerable potential. However, the traditional rayon production process uses a large amount of environmentally harmful chemicals, and the processing of bamboo fiber requires more solvents than cork. Therefore, the environmental protection and sustainability of the bamboo fiber production process have been questioned. New processing technologies have emerged in the market to solve process pollution problems, but the transformation of the entire industry will take longer. As consumers, we can support environmentally friendly products and extend the life of clothing.
Bamboo can also be used as a raw material for pulp, which is suitable for making cardboard for packaging. Global demand for cardboard continues to grow slightly, and there is still a large amount of illegal wood pulp. Using bamboo as an alternative raw material has development potential. However, the pulping process uses a large amount of chemicals, and the treatment technology of hazardous waste liquid or the innovation of pulping technology is the key to the papermaking industry's move towards a circular economy.
3. Reuse of waste bamboo
In the process of using bamboo and making products from it, there will often be leftover materials. Making these broken materials into other products or converting them into energy is also an important part of the circular economy, which can be called "tiered application". During the heyday of the industry, all bamboos had utility value. Complete and uniform bamboo tubes could be made into building materials and furniture, the thinner tail sections could be made into chopsticks and toothpicks, and bamboo powder could be made into gold paper. In the industrial age, finely chopped bamboo chips can be processed into medium-density fiberboard, used to develop granular materials for 3D printing, and made into biofuel. End-of-life bamboo products can be processed into various types of biomass energy, including bamboo charcoal, pellets and wood gas, for cooking, heating and electricity. Therefore, through proper production planning, the factory can produce valuable by-products while manufacturing the target products, effectively adding value to bamboo materials and generating minimal waste.
4. Towards a bamboo circular economy
Although bamboo products have significant potential to promote the circular economy, it cannot be ignored that there are still many barriers to integrating bamboo into the circular economy.
- Process Optimization
Laminated bamboo, bamboo fiberboard, bamboo plastic, etc. allow bamboo to adapt to large-scale industrial processes and improve material performance, greatly increasing the potential for market application. However, their manufacture often requires the use of non-biobased adhesives or chemical coatings, which can make the product unsuitable for recycling and ultimately leave it with no alternative but to be burned. Alternatively, in the manufacturing process of bamboo fiber products, if chemical agents are used to soften, decompose, or bleach the fibers, this may cause environmental pollution. Therefore, finding bio-based alternatives for use in the production of bamboo products and improving the recycling and treatment of chemicals are important issues for the bamboo industry to achieve a circular economy.
- Circular chain construction
Bamboo offers a viable circular solution to current linear production and consumption patterns. However, promoting the circular economy requires the joint efforts of government departments, enterprises and consumers. Policymakers and businesses must focus on developing an integrated bamboo industry that requires investment in all stages of the cycle and adds value to bamboo resources through a circular economy model. Policymakers should include the bamboo industry in climate and energy-related plans and provide additional funding and policies to support industry transformation. A technological tracking system should also be introduced for bamboo product trade information and product traceability to encourage investment and support business development through transparent and open trade.
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