Bamboo fiber clothing

Bamboo fabric is a radical new material that promises to revolutionize the clothing and textile industry. For cost, comfort and ecology, bamboo has no equal.

But how do they do it?

Basically, the bamboo stalks are crushed and pulped, and the plant cellulose is extracted and converted into “rayon.” But while traditional viscose rayon relies on caustic chemicals to convert man-made celluose, bamboo rayon employs a new eco-friendly method that preserves the natural characterists of the bamboo (celluose) without the use of toxic chemicals.

The organic solvent amine oxide (N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide) has been in use since the 1990s for converting raw wood fiber into useful textiles. Bamboo’s abundance and renewability make it an ideal candidate for this process, and the non-toxic process is entirely in line with the ecological philosophy behind bamboo.

The end result is a sumptuously soft eco-fiber fashioned from organically grown bamboo, not just comfortable, but also hypoallergenic, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial.

Why Bamboo?

Conventional cotton is known to be one of the most pesticide intensive crops on the planet, as it is susceptible to a number of pests (particularly when grown in monoculture). And the defoliants used to strip cotton of its leaves before harvesting are some of the deadliest man-made chemicals available. (see Agent Orange )

Other synthetic fibers like nylon, polyester and traditional rayon are derived from petroleum, and so, of course, are those pesky fertilizers, pesticides and defoliants. Freeing ourselves from these industrial fibers represents one more step towards freeing ourselves from fossil fuel dependency.

Bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton all offer excellent alternatives to the highly-toxic conventional textiles, and the future of sustainable agriculture depends not on a single panacea, but on a healthy diversity of alternatives.