Bamboo Fabric: Environmentally Friendly or Not so Friendly

Bamboo fabric is billed as environmentally friendly, but it may not be all it is advertised to be.

Benefits of Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo has been very trendy and popular for use in flooring and other household products. Bamboo has also been gaining popularity as an environmentally friendly clothing fabric. It is true that bamboo fabric has many traits that make it better than synthetic fabrics. Bamboo fabric is quite a bit cheaper than silk or cashmere, but it has the comfortable, luxurious feel and the same beautiful drape as those fabrics have. Bamboo fabric is very durable and easy to care for. It can be laundered. Bamboo is also biodegradable and the bamboo plant, which is a grass as opposed to a tree, is one of the world's most sustainable resources. Bamboo plantations are great for reducing greenhouse gases.

Environmental Issues When Bamboo Is Made Into Clothing

The problem is in the processing. There are two primary types of processing being used for converting bamboo into fabric.

Mechanical processing of bamboo into fabric is not used very much because it is very laborious and therefore would add greatly to the cost of the final product. Environmentally, mechanical processing would be the preferred method. Natural enzymes are used to convert the bamboo into a soft substance that can be combed out and made into yarn.