Is Bamboo Really Green?

We recently received a comment from a concerned reader who questioned our review of some bamboo baby clothing. Her comment was that bamboo clothing is not an eco alternative for parents. Since we aim to provide reviews that reflect our commitment to safe products for babies and the environment, we decided to check into this even further. We would love to get your view on this ongoing debate in the comments below

Is Bamboo Really Green or Just Another Green Fad?

Bamboo fiber is generally regarded as an anti-bacterial fiber with moisture wicking, hypo-allergenic properties suitable for sensitive skin. Bamboo clothing is also touted as an eco alternative because the bamboo plant is a hardier plant that regenerates in a shorter period of time and therefore requires fewer or no pesticides in order to grow.

This is a good thing right?

The question on whether it its truly an eco alternative lies in the fact that alternative fibers such as soy, corn and bamboo also displace native forests. The other question that has been raised is the manor in which the bamboo plant is being processed in order to create this beautifully soft fiber.

According to the Organic Clothing Blog:

The manufacturing processes where bamboo the plant is transformed into bamboo the fabric are where the sustainability and eco-friendly luster of bamboo is tarnished because of the heavy chemicals, some of which are toxic, that are often required.  Very, very little bamboo clothing would qualify as sustainable or organic clothes.

The Organic Clothing Blog goes on to further describe the chemical process used to create bamboo fiber and investigates other technology being used to process the bamboo plant. It’s a good read for those of you wishing to look more deeply into this.

They conclude:

The growing of bamboo is environmentally friendly but the manufacturing of bamboo into fabric raises environmental and health concerns because of the strong chemical solvents used to cook the bamboo plant into a viscose solution that is then reconstructed into cellulose fiber for weaving into yarn for fabric.

This is certainly not an open and closed case on bamboo.

The environmental damage from growing cotton is widely known. Comparing cotton to bamboo, it would seem that bamboo is a better choice given that the incredible demand for cotton places our environment at more risk each year.

Some even question the process of organically growth cotton due to the amount of water being used to cultivate the cotton. Water is not taken into account when meeting the organic cotton certification.

Others will argue that the chemicals used to soften the bamboo fibers are used in a processing plant where they are more easily managed as opposed to applying organic pesticides, organic fertilizers and irrigation to organic cotton crops. (that bamboo forests do not require)

When considering if bamboo is green, perhaps it depends from where you are coming from.

If your family wears mainly traditional cotton clothing, then switching to more alternative fibers such as bamboo and hemp is a more environmental choice. If you are already a buyer of organic cotton, the chemicals used to to soften the bamboo fiber simply may not be acceptable to you , as you may prefer the use of more organic fertilizers and pesticides.

That being said, the bamboo industry is in it’s infant stage. We would like to see strict regulations come into effect that protect consumers and the environment. While there does not seem to be a perfect solution for all products being marketed to parents, we hope to find a nice balance between an environmental choice and a safer choice for babies.

One big concern for Organic Baby Products 101 is the use of toxic chemicals in any  baby products.

For now, we conclude that regardless of the sustainability of the bamboo trees themselves, unless we can verify that a bamboo product was manufactured without the intense chemical processing,  we will no longer be reviewing bamboo baby products.

We can’t imagine how this fiber next to a baby’s skin is any more beneficial than traditional cotton garments and Organic Baby Products 101 is not a traditional cotton garment review blog.

We do invite your feedback as this is an ongoing and multifaceted debate.

So how do we measure the true environmental impact of alternative fibers? What factors do you consider when purchasing eco fabrics?