How eco-friendly is bamboo clothing?
I usually tune in to Lush 99.5 when I’m working in the office. It bills itself as the “sexy, sensual, smooth” radio station.
So when you hear a radio spot proclaiming eco-consciousness and bamboo clothes to be the latest trend in fashion, you know that businesses have finally seen the light.
But just how eco-friendly is bamboo clothing?
Bamboo clothing is usually made a mix of bamboo fibres and other material, such as 55% bamboo and 45% polyester.
Before weaving into clothes, the bamboo fibres has been chemically processed into a form of rayon.
Rayon is a form of manufactured fibres made from cellulose (that’s basically wood pulp).
So bamboo fibres is rayon made from bamboo material. You would still need the chemicals in its production, but at least it reduces the need for wood pulp, and that’s always a good thing as bamboo reproduces much faster than trees.
This is also bamboo clothes feels and wears pretty much the same as other types of clothing.
Some also say that it makes a greener alternative to cotton, which typically uses way too much pesticides in its cultivation.
Overall I would say that bamboo clothing is moderately eco-friendly as a replacement fibre.
So go ahead and make a green statement with your fashion choice.
