A Southern Solution to the Plastic Waste Problem

I. Problems Caused by Plastics Increasing Rapidly

Plastic has brought beneficial improvements to many areas of life, from health care to household appliances.  However, the negative effects of its ubiquitousness around the world are also making themselves known.

The amount of plastic produced each year has grown from 20 million tons (Mt) in 1966 to 460 Mt in 2019.  This amount is forecast to exceed 1 billion tons by 2060.  Much of the plastic produced has a short usable lifespan and is then disposed of; only around 30% of plastic products that have ever been made throughout the world are still being used.  The share of plastic waste belonging to the United States was 42 Mt in 2016.  Only 5% of this waste in the U. S. was recycled; most of it (86%) went to a landfill and another small portion was incinerated.  Globally, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled.  The rest of it is usually either dumped or burned, sometimes responsibly, sometimes not.[1]

The presence of so much plastic is having detrimental effects throughout the environment.  The ocean has become a major catch basin for plastic waste.  Every year 8-10 Mt enter the ocean.  At current rates, by 2050 plastic in the ocean will outweigh all the fish within it.  This is partly due to its slow rate of decomposition:  It normally takes hundreds of years for plastic material to break down.  And yet this process does not leave us with harmless compounds but instead with microplastic particles which also pose dangers to living creatures.  Microplastics are now found in nearly everything, contaminating water, soil, salt, food, and much more.  These small compounds cause major health problems once inside the human body:  cancer, immune disorders, infertility, etc.  Larger plastic pieces also pose threats to wildlife via suffocation, entanglement, and so on.[2]

The production of plastic is also energy intensive.  Nearly all of it, 99%, is produced from hydrocarbons.  The energy required to extract the latter and transform it into the various plastics we use amounts to 8% of worldwide oil and gas consumption.[3]

II. The Bamboo Alternative to Plastic

The need for a biodegradable and less energy intensive substitute for plastic is clearly needed.  Bamboo, a type of fast-growing grass present around the world, presents a viable option.  Qiu and others write,

“Bamboo is a renewable biomass material that has a high annual output of biomass per area of land. The internode cells of bamboo are arranged strictly in the longitudinal direction, with no radially oriented cells such as ray cells. These unique microstructural features have a significant impact on the durability and strength of bamboo and the manufacture process of bamboo products, such as low density, high strength, and stiffness. The tensile strength of bamboo fiber (650 MPa) is close to that of steel (500 to 1000 MPa) and about twice that of wood. In addition, the flexibility of bamboo fiber is much higher than that of steel. The compressive strength of bamboo is in the range of 40 to 80 N/mm², which is two to four times higher than that of most timber species. In general, bamboo is a lightweight and high-strength biomass material (Scurlock et al. 2000).”[4]

The versatility of bamboo is shown in the number of products that can be made from it:

“Bamboo fibers have been used in many industries, for example the garment/ textile, automotive, pulp and paper industries. Due to its excellent durability, fire safety, environmental impact, user safety, energy efficiency, and so on, bamboo is one of the ideal raw materials for the production of sustainable household/ building products. In fact, the household/ construction sector accounts for 30 to 40% of the annual bamboo consumption in the world.”[5]

Some of the most common disposable plastic items – plates, cups, cutlery, diapers, and straws – can also be made from bamboo.[6]

The market for bamboo products is not niche:  It had risen to $60 billion worldwide in 2015.[7]  Yet growing bamboo is not detrimental to the environment.  Quite the opposite, in fact, as it enhances its well-being in various ways:

–Bamboo can be continuously harvested without the need to replant; it is a thoroughly sustainable resource:

“Approximately 20% of the total plantation inventory can be harvested every year without damaging the plant or its productivity. The underground root system remains in place which holds nutrients for growing new culms. In facts, selective harvesting actually helps to keep the bamboo forest healthy and highly productive. Depending on the species, diameter, and final use, bamboo culms in a fully developed bamboo forest can be harvested at the age of 2-5 years.”[8]

–Bamboo preserves groundwater:

“Bamboo acts as a reservoir by collecting and storing large amounts of water in its rhizomes and stems during rainy season, and returning water to the soil, rivers and streams during droughts. One hectare of Guadua bamboo can store approximately 30,000 liters of water. Bamboo’s extraordinary ability to hold and control large amounts of water makes it a plant that can help reduce soil desertification.  . . .  The extensive root system and forest cover of bamboo prevents streams from evaporating and can raise groundwater levels within a few years.”[9]

–Bamboo improves the soil in various ways:

“Bamboo is a great tool for soil protection due to its rapid growth, permanent canopy and huge network of roots and rhizomes. The root system that grows in the surface layer of the soil (20 – 60 cm deep), can reach up to 100 kilometers per hectare. Rhizomes can survive for more than a century, allowing the bamboo to regenerate even if the stems would be cut or destroyed in a fire or storm. Bamboo rhizomes are especially useful for binding topsoil and to prevent the erosion of slopes, riverbanks, degraded land, or to control areas that are frequently affected by landslides.

“ . . . Bamboo provides the soil with a lot of organic matter. Its large number of dry leaves, branches and stems help nutrient circulation, thereby maintaining the fertility of the soil in its physical and chemical aspects. In Colombia, studies revealed that planting Guadua bamboo in degraded soil improved soil quality and reduced soil compaction by more than half. The soil became more porous with better infiltration and a lower bulk density. As a result, ecological functions such as water regulation and nutrient recycling were restored.”[10]

–Bamboo does not require expensive and dangerous chemical inputs to achieve these results:

“Because bamboo is easy to grow and extremely tough, it rarely suffers from pest-related issues and diseases. These plants can be grown without the use of pesticides to keep them protected from harm. Bamboo plants grow quite easily, which means they can be farmed without the need for chemical fertilizers that can cause harm to the soil and water supply.”[11]

III.  The Bamboo Source in the South:  Rivercane

All of this would be irrelevant to those of us here in Dixie if there were no bamboo grasses native to our region.  But that is not the case.  Louisiana and much of the South are the home to a kind of bamboo called rivercane:

“Rivercane is a grass (Family Poeae) native to North America. As a bamboo, it is included in the subfamily, Bambusoideae and the Bambuseae tribe. Although it shares the subtribe, Arundinariinae, with species from East Asia and Africa, the genus Arundinaria is narrowly defined as only native North American bamboos (Arundinaria sensu stricto).”[12]

Though somewhat rare today, they were once found in abundance:

“Once a dominant feature of the southeastern United States, canebrakes dominated hundreds of thousands of acres along floodplains and stream bottoms. Large expanses of canebrakes were often described by early explorers in the Southeast. In the 1770’s, William Bartram explored much of the southeast United States and describes canebrakes often in his description of floodplains and creek bottoms. From these descriptions, it appears that canebrakes were both ubiquitous and expansive.  . . .  Rivercane was often described as twenty-five feet and higher, with diameters of several inches.  . . .  Today, it is estimated that canebrakes occupy less than 2% of their original habitat.”[13]

Picture of rivercane courtesy of Mississippi State University.[14]

Like other varieties of bamboo, rivercane grows vigorously, up to 1.5 inches (38 mm) per day.[15]  It was a mainstay of Louisiana’s Native American tribes, who used it to make baskets and weapons and for other uses.[16]

IV. Making Rivercane Products a Reality

Faced with an ecological disaster from the overuse of plastics, we have the opportunity in the South to re-embrace the wisdom of those tribes by once again making rivercane a central part of our material life.  As noted above many disposable plastic items can be made instead from bamboo like rivercane.

The South has many abandoned paper mills that could be adapted to make rivercane products.  Let us look at a specific example.  The former International Paper facility in Bastrop, Louisiana, would be an ideal location for such a manufacturing center.  It is furnished with natural gas and water lines, has rail and road access, etc.[17]

Former International Paper facility in Bastrop, Louisiana.  Courtesy of The News Star.[18]

Part of the 100 acres of land belonging to the site could be used to grow the rivercane that would be manufactured at the facility.[19]

Plot of unused land belonging to the International Paper site.  Courtesy of The News Star.[20]

Full-scale production at the International Paper site is the long-term goal, but there are preliminary steps that need to be taken beforehand, such as finding the optimum conditions and methods for growing and harvesting rivercane and creating small-scale, proof-of-concept manufacturing systems for rivercane products.  To those ends, a partnership between those desiring to start rivercane manufacturing and local universities (in this case, the University of Louisiana Monroe and Louisiana Tech University) should be formed, whereby professors and students in ULM’s Agribusiness Program and in Louisiana Tech’s School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry and in her College of Engineering and Science could cooperate in this research.  Once these steps are completed, the final goal of building a rivercane production center at the International Paper site could take place.

Beyond the macro-economic and -environmental impacts of such a research and development project, it would also help in smaller ways.  Morehouse Parish has been economically depressed since the closure of the International Paper facility in 2008.  Encouraging individuals and small communities to farm rivercane bamboo on their own land offers a potential source of income and resources for those in need of it.  This could come about in different ways.  The rivercane they raise could be sold to the new manufacturing facility in Bastrop; they could make products from it themselves (furniture, mats, baskets, etc.) to use within their own home or to sell to others; and/or they could use it as a source of fuel, which again they could keep and use, or sell.  Regarding these options, we find the following elaborations in the literature:

“Bamboo is considered as one of the most valuable non-timber forest products in the world. With the use of traditional hand tools and fairly simple techniques, bamboo can be transformed into basic products. These products along with the raw materials can be sold in local markets, which provides an excellent resource in remote areas where non-agricultural income opportunities are limited.”[21]

“Bamboo is a sustainable energy source that produces 1 kWh of electricity from 1,2 kg of bamboo. This is similar to the biomass requirements for wood products, but outperforms other types of biomass sources such as hemp, bagasse or rice husk. Bamboo can produce an enormous amount of biomass in a relatively short period of time, which makes it an important reforestation resource in many countries.”[22]

Because of its energy potential, the prospect of powering part of the rivercane manufacturing process with some of the rivercane itself is feasible:

“Electricity can be generated from bamboo by gasification. This is a process that involves the combustion of biomass in a special unit that powers an electricity-generating turbine. Feasibility studies show that 2 bamboo poles of approximately 10 kg each, can provide enough energy for one family for 24 hours. The by-product that is produced from the gasification process is charcoal, which can be used for cooking or soil fertilization.”[23]

And due to its beneficial effects on soil and groundwater, rivercane could serve as a valuable rotation crop for farmers who want to let part of their fields rest and lie fallow for a few years.  After their rivercane planting has matured, they could harvest and sell it, and then return the fields to production of conventional row crops.

V. Conclusion

The harmful environmental effects of plastic can no longer be ignored.  All parts of the creation – land, air, and water; plants, animals, and humans – are being negatively impacted.  The search for plastic alternatives must begin now.  Other parts of the world have already found them, by replacing many plastic items with bamboo products.  As the home of a native bamboo species, rivercane, the South has a realistic opportunity of joining those countries in reducing our reliance on and use of plastic, which would be a major boon for the health of all the living things in our country, Dixie.  The secondary effects of this transition – such as an increase in employment and income in economically struggling towns and counties/parishes – would also be beneficial.  The uses of rivercane could potentially extend beyond the replacement of plastic products to include the manufacturing of paper, flooring, and many other items.

It has often been the way of Southerners to find solutions to society’s problems in agriculture.  The creation of a renewable production system of truly biodegradable rivercane products could be one of our greatest agrarian success stories.  But only if we have the wisdom and boldness to undertake the task.

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[1] Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2024. “Plastic Waste Factsheet.” Pub. No. CSS22-11.  https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/material-resources/plastic-waste-factsheet.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[2] Marta Fava.  “Ocean plastic pollution an overview: data and statistics.”  https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[3] University of Michigan.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[4] Qiu, H., Xu, J., He, Z., Long, L., and Yue, X. (2019). “Bamboo as an emerging source of raw material for household and building products,” BioRes. 14(2), 2465-2467.  https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/resources/bamboo-as-an-emerging-source-of-raw-material-for-household-and-building-products/.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Rocio Espinoza.  “Bamboo: A Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Plant for All Aspects of Living.”  https://forestnation.com/blog/bamboo-a-sustainable-eco-friendly-plant/.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[7] Qiu.  Accessed 1 June 2025.

[8] Stéphane Schröder.  “Bamboo Provides and Endless Supply of Timber.”  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/bamboo-provides-and-endless-supply-of-timber.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[9] Stéphane Schröder.  “Bamboo Produces Water for Rivers and Streams.”  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/bamboo-produces-water-for-rivers-and-streams.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[10] Stéphane Schröder.  “Bamboo Prevents Soil Erosion and Restores Degraded Land.”  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/bamboo-prevents-soil-erosion-and-restores-degraded-land.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[11] Espinoza.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[12] https://www.rivercane.msstate.edu/node/4.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

[16] “River Cane.”  https://heartoflouisiana.com/river-cane/.  Accessed 31 May 2025.

[17] Ashley Mott.  “Buyers of Bastrop IP property want site to bring new jobs.”  The News Star.  27 Jan. 2019.  https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2018/01/29/buyers-bastrop-ip-property-want-site-bring-new-jobs/1048397001/.  Accessed 1 June 2025.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid

[20] Ibid.

[21] Stéphane Schröder.  “Bamboo Reduces Poverty and Provides Livelihoods for Local Farmers.”  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/bamboo-reduces-poverty-and-provides-livelihoods-for-local-farmers.  Accessed 1 June 2025.

[22] Stéphane Schröder.  “Bamboo Provides Biomass for the Production of Renewable Energy.”  https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/bamboo-provides-biomass-for-the-production-of-renewable-energy.  Accessed 1 June 2025.

[23] Ibid.

The views expressed at AbbevilleInstitute.org are not necessarily the views of the Abbeville Institute.

Walt Garlington

Walt Garlington is a chemical engineer turned writer (and, when able, a planter). He makes his home in Louisiana and is editor of the 'Confiteri: A Southern Perspective' web site.

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