'Bambou'
Bamboo Plastic Composite (BPC) is a biocomposite that is made of bamboo and polymer. The use of BPC promises a greener and a more sustainable future. This sustainable alternative has outstanding properties for widespread applications. ‘Bambou’, a bamboo plastic composite has the prospective to make a key impact on the environment as well as global economy.
Couple of months back, I was approached by the Director of RAJ Bioplast, an eco-conscious material science company based in India to design a product that could showcase the application of their material ‘Bambou’ as an alternate raw material to produce injection moulded plastic housewares.
I was quite excited to learn that ‘Bambou’ is an environment friendly alternate providing a lightweight, durable and aesthetic solution. I set out to design their first flagship product, a coffee mug!
Bamboo Plastic Composite Can Replace Traditional Plastics
India as a country has an abundance of natural resources of bamboo. The source of raw material is from the handicraft industry where it is a waste by-product. Bamboo by nature has high density and is highly non-abrasive. When combined with plastic it possesses strong mechanical potency. It not only gives good mechanical characteristics to the end product but is also aesthetically pleasing. Hence, it can be counted as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic.
Bamboo Plastic Composite (BPC) is an innovative type of composite and has the following advantages:
1. Eco-Friendly
BPC helps to reduce manufacturer’s dependency on natural resources. It leads to reduction in dependency on non-renewable resources, low emissions, and enhanced energy recovery.
2. High Performance
Bamboo Plastic Composite is highly durable, non-toxic. It is moisture resistant and also performs well under extreme weather conditions. This makes it suitable for use both indoors and outdoors.
3. Aesthetic Value
One of the greatest benefits of BPC is that it is aesthetically pleasing. The products made can easily be colour customized to suit individual needs apart from natural earth tones.
4. High Strength
BPC has remarkable mechanical properties like good nail, screw holding. It is having high slip resistance. It is also scratch resistant.
5. Easy to Re-Cycle
The products made from Bamboo Plastic Composite can be easily recycled. The products can also be repurposed with ease at the end of the product’s life cycle. This makes it an ideal option for manufacturing single use plastic products.
In short, Bamboo Plastic Composite (BPC) shows promise to be an aesthetic, lightweight and durable solution to the problem of ever increasing plastic consumption. It is a sustainable alternative. The Coffee Mug has been displayed at various exhibitions such as Plastivision India held in Mumbai in Dec’23 and Plastfocus 2024 in New Delhi and has received a lot of appreciation.
