People often ask me while I’m standing in line at my local green building supply center: Keith, as that Old House’s resident eco-expert superstar, what’s the most controversial green building product you’ve come across?

The reply, dear reader is no doubt—bamboo.

Why?

While it’s durable, takes just a few years to mature, and requires
minimal pesticides or fertilization, many TOH readers additionally point out
that:

• A.) imported bamboo is  shipped thousands of miles, requiring a
  heck of a lot of fuel.
• B.) Depending on the country of origin, it may
  be harvested in horrible working conditions, and
• C.) The majority of
  bamboo flooring is manufactured using formaldehyde—not precisely the
  greenest adhesive available these days.

Thankfully, California-based flooring company EcoTimber
is addressing two out of three of these concerns.

To form certain its
bamboo suppliers are on the same page with the company’s social and
environmental policies, it regularly sends reps to examine local
working conditions.

And according to the press release sitting right
here on my desk, EcoTimber just
started offering formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring as a standard
product, at no additional cost.

Now whether these guys could just find a
good bamboo supplier in California, we might just have the perfect
green flooring option.