Processing bamboo in a tradition-inspired fashion is definitely a step in the right direction…but do be aware that the effluent from even traditional processing can have really negative effects on the environment as excess enzymes and other bio-waste are often just dumped into the local watershed.

I look forward to further developments. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for writing. Bamboo fiber has gotten some less than green press recently, but there are definite pros to using this sustainable fiber – renewable resource. We have done a lot of research on the topic, as has the designer for Loyale, as this was actually a significant part of our conversation during our visit to her showroom. She has hunted high and low for new and improved bamboo options (both in terms of the manufacturing process as well as the superior quality of the fabric itself.)

You might find this recent information on bamboo fabrics to be encouraging/informative:

The Not-So-Green Side of Bamboo Fiber

Those are the green pros of using bamboo fiber as clothing. It’s worth noting that the grassy plant has come under fire by some environmental critics who claim that the production process used to transform bamboo pulp into silky fiber isn’t quite so eco-savvy.

Critics such as Michael Lackman of LotusOrganics.com say that this process usually employs heavy chemicals, some of which are toxic. Lackman says there are two ways of manufacturing bamboo fiber: mechanically or chemically. In the mechanical – eco-friendly – mode, the plant is physically crushed and natural enzymes are used to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. In the chemical, more cost-effective, less labor-intensive, and extremely un-environmentally friendly method, a process of hydrolysis-alkalization and multi-phase bleaching refines bamboo pulp from the plant, which is then processed into fiber.

In his blog post on the topic, Lackman notes that newer manufacturing facilities have begun using other technologies to chemically manufacture bamboo fiber that are more benign and eco-friendly, so that the world’s (potentially) most renewable resource can be utilized more sustainably as clothing.

According National Geographic’s Green Guide, despite the environmental shortcomings in fabric production, bamboo is still has a much lighter environmental impact than pesticide-laden conventional cotton and petroleum-derived nylon and polyester synthetics.

Encourage Eco Safe Bamboo Fiber Production

To support and encourage environmentally friendly facilities and practices in the manufacture of bamboo fabric, verify that your bamboo clothing has been certified by a professional certification group such as the ÖKO-TEK STANDARD 100, which ensures that chemicals used in the production do not have any negative effects on human health and the environment.

See http://womensfashion.suite101.com/article.cfm/bamboo_eco_fashion

We will definitely stay on top of this issue! Thanks for reading and contributing -

Abigail @ Inhabitat

Okay, getting off my (bamboo) soapbox…