Environmentally-friendly bamboo to create 10 million jobs in China

Environmentally-friendly bamboo's potential may be further tapped to help a new industry in China sprout and create 10 million jobs, reports The Economist.

An environmentally-friendly bamboo bicycle is on display in the city of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province on Aprial 29, 2014. [File Photo: VCG]

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, with some species able to grow as much as one meter in a day.

Due to this, bamboo is said to be undergoing a form of revival in China, thanks - in part - to increased environmental awareness. "China is taking the lead in replacing plastics and timber with renewable and low carbon materials," according to the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, an industry promotion organization headquartered in Beijing. Chinese companies have begun to purchase bamboo credits to offset carbon emissions.

According to The Economist, China possesses over 6 million bamboo groves, accounting for one-fifth of the world's total. China produces 40 billion pairs of bamboo-made disposable chopsticks every year. Steel scaffolding is also being replaced with bamboo on various construction sites. "Though important and abundant, bamboo is the forgotten plant in China," said Martin Tam, an expert in Hong Kong.

It's reported that the annual production value of China's bamboo industry is over 30 billion US dollars. This number is expected to increase to 48 billion US dollars within the coming 3 years, creating 10 million job opportunities.