U.S. IT company Dell has stated that it is the first company in the PC industry to introduce packaging made from bamboo as a sustainable alternative to conventional packaging material.

The PC manufacturer is shipping its Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and Mini 10v netbooks in packaging made from bamboo, which it says is a highly renewable material that serves as a alternative to molded paper pulp, foams, and corrugate often used in packaging.

Dell is using the material for the product cushions cradling the Mini inside an outer box made from 25 percent post-consumer materials. The company plans to expand its use of bamboo packaging to more products in early 2010.

Dell is working with bamboo packaging supplier Unisource Global Solutions to ensure all processes associated with the bamboo's production meet the highest standards. The company sources its raw bamboo from a forest that follows Forest Stewardship Council principles and criteria. The bamboo forest is located in China's Jiangxi Province and is reported to be far away from pandas' known habitats. Dell is also working with UGS to secure FSC-certification for the bamboo's full chain of custody, from the forest to the manufacturing facilities.

According to Oliver Campbell, Dell's senior manager of packaging worldwide, the use of bamboo for electronics packaging is fairly new, but its viability as a great packaging material can't be ignored. He added that Dell was introducing it with mobile products, as it's proved to be a strong, sustainable and cost-effective solution for packaging such items. And Dell is actively working to integrate this and other innovative, agricultural materials, into packaging for products across their portfolio.