Bamboo fabric

This article focuses on bamboo fibre for textiles, fabric and furnishings. My article on the material bamboo may also be of interest to you.

Description
♦ Bamboo fabric comes from the bamboo plant, a type of grass that is quick growing, flexible and with the strength of steel.
♦ Bamboo fibre is used in textiles as 100% pure content or as a fibre blend.
♦ The bamboo stalk is processed to extract the strands of plant fibre.
♦ The plant fibre is natural cellulose and without additives.
♦ Chemicals are used to turn the plant fibres into textiles using a process similar to rayon production.
♦ When blended with other fibres e.g. cotton – this creates a heavier weighted fabric.

Advantages
♦ Soft & silky to touch.
♦ Take colour and dyes easily.
♦ Holds a natural sheen.
♦ Lengths of fabric drape well.
♦ A highly absorbent material.
♦ Quick drying properties.
♦ Can be machine washed.
♦ Excellent anti microbial properties.
♦ Excellent anti allergic properties.
♦ Good odour absorption properties.

Disadvantages
♦ n/a

Embodied Energy
♦ As with all products that originate from overseas, high levels of embodied energy are created with transportation and distribution.

Source/Origin
♦ Currently China dominant the industry with the methods to process bamboo into fibre.
♦ Mexico are in the process of establishing a bamboo fibre industry to compete with China (this will lower transportation kilometres which will lower the levels of embodied energy).
♦ Manufactured in Asia, USA & Europe.

Renewable
♦ 100% sustainable, quick renewing and abundant fibre.

Environment & Health
♦ Bamboo agriculture doesn’t need any chemicals during farming; pesticides, fertilizers etc.
♦ Bamboo trees/stalks absorb up to 45% more carbon compared with timber trees.
♦ The bamboo tree is rapidly renewing.
♦ The solvent used to process bamboo fibre into fabric is toxic.
♦ Some manufacturers of bamboo fibre use a ‘closed loop’ production process which looks at using less solvent through recycling, less water, energy and resources whilst creating less waste – lowering the negative effect on the environment.
♦ Bamboo fibre processing has much less of an environmental impact than cotton.
♦ Source organic bamboo fabric where possible, as this is odour free and manufactured without any chemicals.

Performance
♦ Stronger than beech, oak, ample.
♦ Stable.

Recycled content
♦ n/a.

Recyclable
♦ Bamboo textiles can be easily recycled.

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ 100% biodegradable textile fibre.
♦ Bamboo fibres will decompose in sewage in as few as 8 days.

Ethics
♦ Employee standards must be overseen in areas where harvesting takes place.
♦ The impact on the surrounding environment must be observed for any negative changes.

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