But bamboo grows fast
Hi friends!
This week we consider bamboo as a [more] sustainable material for fabric production.
Bamboo is a grass that grows very quickly (can grow 3 feet in a day!) in many parts of Asia. It grows without need for pesticides or fertilizers and regenerates its own roots – thus making it a more sustainable raw material than conventional cotton.
However, turning bamboo into a fiber that can be made into a soft, wearable fabric is chemically intensive – using chemicals that are harmful to people and the planet – it is the usually same process used to make viscose (aka rayon). Think about this type of bamboo as viscose bamboo.
The United States Federal Trade Commission said, "When bamboo is processed into rayon, no trace of the original plant is left ... If a company claims its product is made with bamboo, it should have reliable scientific evidence to show it’s made with bamboo fiber."
Good news! There is a more sustainable alternative – bamboo made using the same process as lyocell – a circular chemical process that reuses 99% of the chemicals used to break down the wood/bamboo pulp into fiber – called monocel or lyocell bamboo.
Key takeaway: as with other viscose fibers, it is better to avoid viscose bamboo. Instead, look for monocel or lyocell bamboo, and of course, a transparent supply chain.
And so, we are back where we started the semi-synthetic fiber conversation – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – stick to organic cotton and lyocell (TENCEL) for now.
Next week we’ll leave the fiber discussion and move on to the supply chain and why it matters for people, animals and the planet.
Until then,
Kevin xo