Bamboo 🎍 clothing a smart choice
Bamboo is the plant that grows faster. Oak tree which takes 40 years to grow. There are different types of bamboo trees if u don’t know over 1000 types of bamboo that grow near the ground while the textile industry loves those that go high, almost even 25 meters closer to sky.
If we want to protect the environment and maintain a healthy body then we all of us should consider wearing bamboo fabrics.
Reasons why bamboo is so sustainable choice for clothing.
Bamboo is sustainable and eco-friendly.- Bamboo grow faster and even after cutting down this big plants will not stop their growth but instead make them sprout faster and build stronger stems. These bamboo are 100% biodegradable. Requires far less dye than cotton.
It requires very little water to grow.- Bamboo requires very much less water than cotton. Only rainwater is sufficient to grow to these bamboo.
Bamboo purifies the air.
Bamboo is great for the skin.
Bamboo clothing is effective.
Bamboo contains no toxins.
Mostly people don’t know about bamboo fabric. Bamboo fabric mainly of three main types which are bamboo viscose, lyocell-type bamboo fabric, and natural bamboo (bamboo linen). At first it is complicated to understand sustainability of bamboo fabric. But once you understand the properties and processes of each type, it will be easy to spot the eco-friendly types. Bamboo plant has many advantages as a raw material for fabric and clothes. These bamboo fabric is durable and soft nature, due to it’s properties these fabrics used to make products such as towels, underwear, shirts, and bedsheets. These fabric can make alternative to cotton because it is breathable, soft and smooth fabric. Bamboo is natural, the fabrics we get from it are semi-synthetic due to the processing methods. Semi – synthetic fabrics are viscose rayon and lyocell-type fabric.
Let’s see how these Bamboo Fabric
Made?
Mainly to produce the different types of bamboo fabric, these has to go through various processes before becoming a textile for clothing. Among all the most common bamboo fabric is bamboo viscose. These viscose rayon production is a cheaper to manufacturer. This viscose rayon fiber requires a significant amount of chemicals in its manufacturing process. The lyocell fabric, uses a less toxic chemicals. The best and most sustainable is the natural type, which requires mechanical processing.
Mechanically-produced bamboo fabric
This method is eco-friendly. The processing doesn’t involve any chemicals. Instead, it requires mechanical processing. For the preparation of bamboo fibers, plants have to crush mechanically. After this there is addition of natural enzymes to the crushed wood fibers. Then there is washing of these fibers and fibers are spin into bamboo yarn. This will result in bamboo fabrics and fabrics are quite costly, and the process is labor-intensive. So that why it is limited in the market.
A glance on the history of Bamboo
Textiles
In the old days bamboo is utilization is there for a variety of products. Paper industry uses it in paper production. Actually bamboo fibers for clothes came about in the 20th century. It is important to note that there have been attempt carried out over the years to generate fiber to be turned into apparel. But actually bamboo fabric was originated in Asia. There was first modern process of attaining bamboo textile to Beijing University. They resulted in usable bamboo apparel in early 2000s. At the same time around world manufacturers and organizations were working to create bamboo apparel by using similar methods.
By successful application of developed extraction and modern bleaching methods results in making the fabric white. It is then made available in American market. Experts have developed methods of generating the fabric in these years. As a result, we will notice innovations in mixing and blending fabrics in coming years.
Bamboo Textile Pros and Cons
Bamboo is usefull which leads to wider usage of the fabric. Fashion
brands also recognized the usefulness of bamboo. Apparels which
are made from this include socks, underwear and t-shirts. Brands
also use this bamboo fabrics and make household products like
bedding, blankets and towels. Now we will see the benefits as well
as cons of this fabric
.
Benefits of
Bamboo Fabric
No pesticide
One of the major benefits of using bamboo for fabrics is that while
growing it doesn’t require pesticides. The plant itself contains a
natural antimicrobial bio-agent called bamboo-kun. That’s why the
plant doesn’t require any pesticides.
Easy to grow
organically
Bamboo is the quick growing woody plant in the world. It grows
very fast and this makes
it a go-to crop for making bamboo fabric.
Soft with
Moisture- wicking properties
Bamboo
fabric is soft and it is friendly to the skin. The fabric keeps you dry drawing
moisture or sweet from your skin.
These beneficial properties of this plant are found in the fabric which are mechanically processed. Many of these properties lack in rayon type fabric.
Cons of
Bamboo Fabric
Bamboo fabric that made by chemical processing, involving carbon
disulfide poses a danger to the environment. The chemical which are
used to process the fabric are harmful to human health and the
environment.
Harmful
emissions
Any bamboo fabric that undergoes chemical processing, which
involves carbon disulfide poses a danger to the environment.
Chemicals which are used are harmful to human health and the
environment.
Shrinkage of the fabric
One property of this fabric is that it shrinks at a faster rate compared to cotton.
Expensive
This natural bamboo fabric tends to be more expensive than the rayon type or cotton. It is not common as bamboo rayon fabric and so costs more.
Prone to wrinkles and pilling
The bamboo fabric easily it gets wrickle compared to other materials. Also it prone to pilling. It is Biodegradable.
Below are some brands that utilize this fabric. Their processes also show their commitment to sustainabilty.
Boody- This brand grows its crops in China in partnership wiht a fiber company.
Movesgood- This brand uses bamboo lyocell to make products from sustainable sweaters and tops to trousers, dresses and accessories.
Ettitude - This brand creates organic bamboo bedding, bath and sleep essentials. It creates this fiber using a non-toxic and closed loop system.
Shift to Nature- This company curates sustainable and ethical brands and sources. It carries apparel which are made from organic materials such as cotton, bamboo and hemp etc.
Bamboo is a highly sustainable crop. The most sustainable type is bamboo linen.
No comments:
Post a Comment