As consumers, we are often aware of how sustainable are the items we use every day – our food, clothing, skincare and other items have special labels to let us know that they are environmentally friendly and fair trade. But what about common objects that surround us outside of our homes? HR Groep in collaboration with MOSO International have introduced a new product line –traffic signs made out of bamboo – that is aiming to make our streets a bit more green.
Sustainable Bamboo Traffic Signs. Why bamboo?
Is bamboo a tree or grass?
Bamboo plant. Bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae. Some of its members are giants, forming by far the largest members of the grass family. There are 91 genera and about 1,000 species of bamboo.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing sustainable resources in the world. A single bamboo plant consists of multiple stems. Every year, new shoots sprout from them. On average, 20-25% of the stems can be harvested in a sustainable plantation or commercial forest every year. Due to the rapid growth rate, this can happen without the number of stems per hectare decreasing! Deforestation is averted as a result of selective logging, keeping the plants alive and healthy. In fact, this means of harvesting the mature stems actually improves overall yield and quality of the commercial forest.
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Another great thing about bamboo is that it absorbs large quantities of CO2 as it grows. This, combined with ease of recycling, makes it more sustainable than aluminium and carbon neutral throughout its entire life cycle. And, naturally, high CO2 absorption rates help combat global warming!
Is bamboo really eco friendly?
Bamboo products are eco-friendly as long as they haven't been chemically processed, which most bamboo clothing fabrics have been. Bamboo as a plant is naturally pest resistant, 100% biodegradable, antifungal, antibacterial, and regrows to its adult size in 3 to 5 years.
Sustainable Bamboo Traffic Sign For Safe Cities: Netherlands
How fast can Bamboo Grow?
Lastly, bamboo’s properties are comparable to – or even superior to – hardwood. It is a very strong material that can be used in a multitude of ways – it can be fully recycled into things such as chipboard, or used in biomass power plants to generate green energy. This, combined with bamboo’s growth rates, makes it a more attractive crop for many farmers that can provide them with a steady annual income.
Sustainable Bamboo Traffic Sign. What Makes The Bamboo Sign Unique?
Why is bamboo stronger than steel?
It has greater tensile strength (or resistance to being pulled apart) than steel, and it withstands compression better than concrete. Bamboo's strength is in its ability to bend, and that's the miracle." The Western mind is also opening to bamboo's environmental qualities.
For the usage of bamboo as an information carrier, multiple layers of bamboo are glued together. The result is a remarkably resilient, scratchproof product that will neither rip nor deform.
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HR Groep uses their Ultimate Signing™ technology to make these signs even more sustainable. Ultimate Signing™ is a special UV printing method that is more long lasting than traditional foils. It provides a better viewing angle that improves visibility and thus helps make our roads safer!
For more information about production and signs click on: HR Group and Bamboo Unlimited, Bamboo Signs
Before you go!
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