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We are entering a new age of sustainable materials where plants like mushrooms, algae and the more classically used bamboo are being spun into everything from sneakers to t-shirts. As fabrics these materials offer an alternative to plastic-based polyester and nylon. Although, widely used in the fashion industry, plastic-based fabrics don’t have as many sustainable benefits as its plant-based counterparts like bamboo.
As a nautral plant, bamboo is considered sustainable, because it’s biodegradable so after several years it can decompose naturally. But, there are also a few negative impacts to consider as well. No matter how sustainable an item is, producing the fabric can have a negative impact during the production process. As a sustainable consumer it pays to understand this process and how it impacts a brand’s impact to our environment.
What Is Bamboo?
There are roughly 1400 species of bamboo worldwide? Also, despite popular opinions it’s not strictly regulated to Asia and the surrounding islands. It’s native to warm and moist climates. There are native bamboo forests found throughout the world from South Africa to Brazil where pandas, lemurs and mountain gorillas all rely on the plant for its nutritional needs. It is characterized by its tough outer layer and (usually) hollow insides and is known as one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Some have been measured to grow 36 inches within a twenty-four hour time frame.
As a material bamboo has been used for centuries for cookware, clothing and even in food dishes. Because of the variety of species around the world, the plant varies in how it can be used. For instance it is often attributed to being durable, but there are some cases where it’s considered to be antibacterial.
When you read about bamboo, it almost sounds too good to be true, so how does bamboo fit into a more sustainable future?
How Are Bamboo Products Made?
When it comes to clothing, bamboo can be made into an array of fabrics. Some of these include rayon or lyocell which are made from the cellulose fibers of the plant. Other times it’s blended with cotton and linen fibers to strengthen fabrics.
Bamboo fabrics begin with the leaves and the woody shoots of the plant which are crushed and then broken down with solvents like sodium hydroxide to form a cellulose mush-like mixture. This is then pressed and treated with other chemicals until it becomes cellulose fiber threads that can be spun and woven into a fabric. All in all creating fabrics from bamboo is a chemically intensive process. that has often raised questions about the health risk of workers who come in contact with these treatments like sodium hydroxide. Over the years, some of these risks have been minimized by the use what are considered more eco-friendly chemicals like N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide and hydrogen peroxide. And, sustainable brands will often partner with mills that capture and recycle these chemicals to avoid having them leech into local water sources or the atmosphere.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, creating products like toothbrushes isn’t as intense. Bamboo stalks are cut, split, sterilized and then shaped and smoothed into items like toothbrushes or flatware.
Is Bamboo Sustainable?
As a raw material, yes, bamboo is sustainable. It is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. When compared to using traditional trees for raw materials, bamboo can reach its full height within 4 years as opposed to 10 to 20 years. It also requires few resources to grow. When compared to other textile crops like cotton its negative impact is minimal because it doesn’t require pesticides, excess water or extensive manual labor to harvest. It’s even credited for combating environmental issues like soil erosion and excess CO2 in the atmosphere. And, it’s end-of-life is eco-friendly since it’s biodegradable.
What does make bamboo less than sustainable is how it’s harvested and processed. The chemicals used, the water waste and pollution- that can have a negative impact on both the workers and the local environment. So, how can you shop for sustainable bamboo products? There isn’t a clear answer outside of brands being transparent and willing to share information about their supply chain. While there are organizations that vet production processes to ensure that ethical labor standards are being met or that pesticides aren’t being used to certify that cotton is organic, there are few equivalent certifications for bamboo products. There are sustainable forest councils that oversee the harvesting of bamboo plants and some bamboo products can have a sustainably harvested logo from the World Wildlife Foundation, but more often than not those won’t show up on clothing tags.
There are efforts to ensure that bamboo is being used as sustainably as possible. But, until then the best way to be a conscious consumer is to consume less and choose brands that make a holistic and whole effort to be as sustainable as possible. And, a B-Corp status doesn’t hurt as well.