Bamboo Part Two!
Submitted by Live Earth on 4 April, 2008 - 16:34
Last week we discussed bamboo as a building material. But there's lots to say about bamboo - here's our discussion of bamboo fiber used for clothing, sheets, etc. Tell us whether you're sleeping well under your bamboo bedclothes!
Now we turn to the surprisingly softer, snugglier side of bamboo and bamboo fiber used to make fabrics.
The Good Stuff
Fabrics made from bamboo fiber have many obvious benefits: They are extremely soft, durable, resistant to body odor, resist shrinkage, are very breathable, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and as we talked about before, are made from one of the fastest growing resources on the planet. Bamboo fiber can be made into t-shirts, baby clothes, socks, sweaters, sheets, blankets, towels, and the list goes on. So other than the harvesting issues discussed last week, what’s the problem??
The Problem Is In The Process
While bamboo itself is relatively easy to process for floors and furniture, it seems that the steps necessary to create this super-soft fabric tend to be less than environmentally friendly. There are apparently 2 common ways to produce bamboo fiber used to make fabric: One uses energy sucking machinery to crush the bamboo into a mush and then the fibers are extracted, spun into yarn and then woven into fabric. Not too terrible except for the amount of energy used by the machinery and the fact that most manufacturers find this process so labor intensive and costly that they usually opt for the more popular alternative, which uses harsh chemicals such as sodium hydroxide to “cook” the fiber before it goes through a multiple step bleaching process. The chemicals used here can cause eye irritation and headaches and factory workers have been known to exhibit neurological problems from continual exposure.
Okay, so none of this sounds good. But is it worse than cotton, which traditionally also uses harsh chemicals and the farming of which is extremely hard on the environment?
Here’s the exciting and beautiful part in all of this, and it goes beyond bamboo:
As you, The Consumer, discover the Green Truth about a product, and voice a desire for that product because of its environmental benefits but object to the way it is produced, you push manufacturers to create cleaner, more efficient alternatives that in the long run, make you happy to buy the product and make more money for the company that’s doing it better.
The Solution
So is bamboo fabric being produced anywhere using organic, non-toxic, energy efficient processes? Yes! Eco-clothing website,
www.greencotton.wordpress.com, found a few companies out there leading the charge. Among them are:
They sell baby clothes and a wide range of women’s clothing, from robes, yoga/loungewear, cute, casual wear, even eco-scrubs. They also have many of these items in their trademarked fabric called ecoKashmere ®, which feels like cashmere but is made from organic bamboo, processed without bleach.
Not only a web-store, they also have a brick and mortar storefront in Boston. Their catalog of clothing features a long list of non-crunchy, very attractive, fashion forward designers, all utilizing organic materials that include bamboo and organic cotton.
Bamboo fiber makes eco-sense, so long as it’s processed with the health of the planet and the health of the consumer in mind. So vote with your dollars and make your voices heard! And when you do, imagine how much fun it’s going to be to look back in 20 years and know you made a difference and played a part in changing the way clothes are made!
Corrected Link to BLOG:
Corrected Link to BLOG: www.coralrose.typepad.com
I first used bamboo in a
I first used bamboo in a public artwork (2004) and was so impressed with what I was learning I included bamboo in a mainstream object -- a tee shirt. I have been researching for 2.5 years and rally for renewable bamboo because of the potential that exists for supplying the world with many low-impact goods (a replacement for wood, a supplement for cotton, and a legal alternative to hemp for the USA.)
So many things are in need of adjustment to meet my idea of what "green" is. Bamboo is one resource that comes close due to the possibilities of increased harvest locations (USA among other countries), it's contribution to the release of oxygen, and also the opportunity for new invention that can improve the processing methods.
Have I created my ideal "green" tee shirt? No. Will I? Yes. I have been studying the details (from forest to tee) and I know what to do next. It will take several months to get to where I want to be at this moment. (Not including the new awareness I gather on the way!) It is a creative process and I am fully committed to it.
Lee Tracy, artist, www.leetracy.com
founder of www.certaintees.com
Bamboo is not a fiber. What
Bamboo is not a fiber.
What is referred to as bamboo fiber in the market is actually viscose/rayon.
According to the FTC, All viscose or rayon fiber from Bamboo (as a source) that is imported into the US must carry a legal fiber content label declaration of viscose or rayon. All bamboo imported into the EU must use of the legal content declaration viscose; the EU does not permit the use of the word rayon.
As one of the fastest growing plants in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years. It spreads rapidly across large areas. Because of relatively quick growing time and the ability to be grown without fertilizers or pesticides, the fiber is currently being marketed as an 'eco-green-sustainable fiber.’ There are also claims that viscose or rayon from bamboo is biodegradable and anti-microbial. There are potential risks associated with using bamboo as a polymer source for rayon since there is currently a lack of transparency in the supply chain. It is not always clear which type of bamboo is used for fiber, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, harvested etc. To date there are no known organic certification of bamboo.
The process to make viscose or rayon fiber from bamboo is the same process used to produce viscose/ rayon from any other plant source. The cellulose is extracted from the bamboo, and then the cellulose is mixed with chemicals to convert the plant pulp into textile quality fiber. This process can be very polluting unless it is carefully controlled, which can be influenced by the age and condition of the equipment as well as whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment. ( Rose, eco-textiles 2006)
There is only one case of manufacturing a regenerated cellulose fiber-where the chemicals used in the process are completely recycled with a recovery rate of 99.5%, this is known as a closed loop system. The fiber made using this closed looped process is Lenzings TENCEL ® Lyocell. More accurately described Lyocell is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. TENCEL® Lyocell, also carries the Oeko Tex 100 certification and FSC certification ( http://www.fsc.org/en/) Currently organic standards are not in place for certifying regenerated fibers using trees as a source e.g. Eucalyptus, or Beechwood. FSC certification for TENCEL® Lyocell is for the forest and for the pulp, they also have been awarded the European-Eco flower label. (www.Lenzing.com)
Coral Rose
coral@eco-textiles.com
www.e-EcoInnovations.com
BLOG:http://coralrose.typepad.com/
I have a shirt that is made
I have a shirt that is made from bamboo fiber. You can not tell a difference if it is cotton or bamboo. We also use handmade bamboo mats on the table. Bamboo is a grass, so has its natural protection against mould or germs. Wearing bamboo clothes will help your skin that reacts to latex or sythetic materials. I haven't used bedsheets, but don't know where to find one. If anyone has seen them in stores, suggestions welcome!
I have to point out what may
I have to point out what may be an inconsistency in the "ecological bamboo" fabric discussion. You point out an ecological green example of Jonano.com, see below"
"Jonano.com
They sell baby clothes and a wide range of women’s clothing, from robes, yoga/loungewear, cute, casual wear, even eco-scrubs. They also have many of these items in their trademarked fabric called ecoKashmere ®, which feels like cashmere but is made from organic bamboo, processed without bleach."
On the Jonano website they describe their ecoKashmire as being made below from viscose babmboo rayon... which is an artificial fiber form derived from bamboo. It uses harsh chemicals to dissolve the cellulose.
"The bamboo is grown on plantations and logged by hand. It is then finely shredded and bamboo cellulose is extracted. Impurities are then removed leaving only the finest quality fibers which are pulped into a cardboard-like sheet. The pulp is dissolved into viscose before being made into a spun or filament fiber using a low impact, closed loop system."
It appears as if there is actually very little fabric woven from natural bamboo fiber. There may be almost none, actually.
Jim
What is the process involved
What is the process involved in bamboo fabric manufacturing (from clums to weave)? Is the machinery/ set-up pretty much the same like other textiles?
Sanchita Ghosh
sanchita_gh@sify.com