Clothing Made From Bamboo Feels Great! But How Sustainable Is It, Really?

This is a Guest Post by Mastho Bamboo Sunglasses

The number of companies using bamboo as a raw material for clothing is growing steadily. Fabric made from this plant is said to be more hygienic and cooler than clothing made from cotton. And bamboo is grown in a much more sustainable way than cotton, particularly in terms of its water use.

But how sustainable is bamboo really?

Growing Bamboo

Bamboo fabric has a wonderfully soft feel and texture, it’s a delight to wear. It’s also said to absorb more sweat than other textiles, and be cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

One marketing claim that is certainly justified is sustainability, in terms of its production.

The plant grows very quickly, so the yield is much higher than with cotton. Moreover, no pesticides are needed to control insects, viruses, weeds or fungi. The only thing bamboo plantations need is sunlight and water.

After the harvest, the plant remains in place, and growth continues. As a result, forests do not have to be cut down to meet global demand (deforestation). .

The crop absorbs carbon dioxide, which has a positive effect on the climate. The plants also produce 30 to 35 percent more oxygen than other trees.

But is there a dark side to this wonder crop?

Processing Bamboo

It becomes more complicated when you look at the processing of bamboo into textiles for clothing. There are two ways for that.

• The mechanical way of processing is the most sustainable. The mechanical process involves shattering the woody part of the plant and then applying natural enzymes to break the cell walls of the bamboo, creating a mushy mass. The natural fibers can then be combed out mechanically and spun into yarn. The disadvantage is that this process is very labour-intensive, and therefore costly.

• Most companies therefore focus on the chemical processing of the crop into so-called bamboo viscose. Through this process, the bamboo is cooked in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide. Once cooked, the resulting liquid is pushed through small holes in a chemical bath with sulphuric acid, where it cures to fine strands. After being washed and bleached, these strands form rayon yarns.

Can Bamboo Processing Be More Sustainable?

Because this rayon is produced using harmful chemicals,  we need to make that process more eco-friendly in order to be able to say that bamboo clothing is truly sustainable.

Fortunately, important steps are being taken to do exactly that.

For example, the process of distilling lyocell from wood fibres could be adapted to be used with bamboo. The big advantage of this, is that the chemicals for this process are much less toxic.

The lyocell process is also used for the manufacture of Tencel, a fabric that is used by, among others, eyewear brand Mastho Bamboo Sunglasses.

Another way of increasing sustainability is to use a closed loop system, where 99.5 percent of the chemicals are collected and recycled for reuse.

Opportunities

So is bamboo as a raw material for textiles sustainable? Compared to other textiles and plastic, the answer is yes, especially if you compare the cultivation of the raw materials.

However, improvements need to made during processing, and hopefully this opens opportunities for companies to excel in making bamboo truly sustainable.

Please Share this post  –  it’s easy – sharing buttons below and right!

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.