Is Bamboo Fabric as Green as They Say?
As consumer demand for eco-friendly fabrics rises ever higher, one particular natural fiber has been celebrated as soft, luxurious, elegant, strong and sustainable. Of course, we’re talking about bamboo, the grass that grows rampant all over many parts of the world. You’ve undoubtedly seen bamboo around for years as home décor, but now it’s being made into clothing, bedding and other textiles that rival the finest quality cotton and silk.
Bamboo seems to have a lot of things going for it – but is it as great as companies make it out to be? Let’s examine the pros and cons of bamboo fabric.
Pro – It’s a fast-growing renewable resource. In fact, it’s the fastest-growing plant in the world, increasing in height by more than a yard a day in some cases! It reaches its maximum height in just three months and spreads rapidly.
Pro – It’s soft, smooth and aesthetically appealing. It drapes like silk and feels like cashmere but can be thrown in the washer and dryer. It has a natural sheen and is wrinkle-resistant.
Pro – It’s strong, and wicks away moisture. It absorbs more water than cotton, and holds it away from your skin, yet still allows your skin to breathe. It also has high tensile strength – much higher than silk.
Pro – It’s antibacterial and hypoallergenic. It prevents odors, making it great for use as activewear. Bamboo fibers are smooth and round, so they won’t irritate the skin.
Pro – It’s a natural sunscreen. Tests have shown that bamboo fibers block out 98 percent of UV activity, protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.
Con – The bamboo comes all the way from China in most cases. That means lots of resources are spent getting it to the facilities where it’s made into clothing. As far as we know, getting locally sourced bamboo clothing is impossible in the U.S. For now, that is. Bamboo does grow in North America, so we’re sure there will be a few bamboo farms up and running any time now.
Con – With demand up so high, Chinese companies are clearing forests to grow more bamboo, and some are using fertilizers that wouldn’t meet U.S. organic standards to increase their yield. Since bamboo grows so fast, you wouldn’t think they’d have to use fertilizers at all, but that’s how high demand is right now.
Con – It’s sometimes processed with harsh, toxic chemicals. That’s a big strike – not only are these chemicals still in the garments themselves once you’re wearing them, they affect the environment and the health of the workers who do the processing. The good news is, not all bamboo textiles are chemically processed. Many are mechanically processed – a more expensive and labor-intensive way of doing it, to be sure, but far more eco-friendly.
As you can see, in the end, the pros outweigh the cons by far, and despite the three sticking points, bamboo is still one of the eco-friendliest fabrics around. It has a far smaller ecological footprint than non-organic cotton and synthetic fabrics, so it’s a great choice for all of your textiles – clothing, bedding, bath towels, drapery and more. Luxuriate in the softness of bamboo and feel good about your purchasing choices.
