Bamboo Sprouts Up in Bountiful Home Uses

I appreciate what you said about the bamboo floors from China. There are companies that advertise green even down to the adhesives.

While bamboo itself is a relatively sustainable crop, the manufacturing processes to make it into fabric raises concerns.
The most common method is a chemical process very similar to the production of rayon from wood. This is known as a viscose process which uses hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching. This process “cooks” the leaves and shoots in a strong chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide, then it is extruded thru tiny holes directly into a chemical bath of sulfuric acid where it hardens into fine strands. After washing and bleaching, the strands can then be dyed and woven into soft fabric referred to as “rayon from bamboo”.
This has resulted in guidelines which require that all textiles containing bamboo be labeled according to the chemical process through which they are produced. For example, “rayon from bamboo” vs. simply “bamboo”. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cracked down on companies using deceptive labeling and advertising items as made of bamboo, when they are in fact made of rayon. The FTC are also charging companies with making false and unsubstantiated “green” claims such as environmentally-friendly process, biodegradable, etc.
The good news is that some facilities have started using more benign technologies to chemically- manufacture bamboo fibers. A process that uses wood cellulose can be modified to use bamboo cellulose. Using less toxic chemicals, the bamboo can be processed in a closed loop system in which 99.5% of the chemicals are captured and recycled for reuse again.
After consideration, it is clear that bamboo is not the eco-solution to apparel and labeling enforcement to reduce the greenwash is well justified. With increased interest in bamboo-based fabrics, perhaps it will induce a push towards cleaner production processes and lead to advances in applicable environmental and labor certifications for both products and manufacturers in the near future.
Bamboo is not the answer to the sustainable solution. It is only one option amongst many.

Wow jwo7888, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I was encouraged by your words that the companies are being fined. I had heard that some companies continue to pollute and pay the fine because it is cheaper than cleaning up their act.