Bamboo has been hailed as the wonder fabric for a few years now, better than cotton, more affordable than silk or cashmere.  It suffered a setback in 2009 when close scrutiny revealed some of the "green" claims to be just marketing spin.

If the product you purchase has a label that uses any of the terms "100% bamboo fiber", "antimicrobial", "environmentally-friendly", "environmentally-safe", "natural", "organic", "sustainable" or any other buzzwords of the green movement, verify what those terms really mean to the designer or manufacturer.  Their interpretations may not match your expectations.

Bamboo-the plant has many qualities that make it an ideal source of raw material.  It grows wild in many parts of the world and is highly adaptable in challenging conditions.  It is a tough plant so it is possible to grow in a sustainable, maybe even organic manner.   Almost every part of the bamboo plant can be used for a wide range of applications, and many entrepreneurs see great potential in the growing market for green products made out of this wonder plant.  But here is where the green nature of bamboo-the plant must part company with bamboo-the fabric.

There is a world of difference between the two forms.  Bamboo-the plant does many good things for the environment: its extensive root system helps prevent erosion, it needs relatively little water and can handle waste water, it is pest resistant, it is self-propagating, it is evergreen, it lives a long time, it generates a lot of oxygen, and takes in and holds a lot of carbon dioxide.

"Bamboo fabric" woven from fiber made from chemically-processed bamboo cellulose is synthetic.  It is rayon (also called viscose or modal), woven from fibers that are man-made.  The process that transforms the raw material is called hydrolysis alkalizaton.  It is described by chemists as a "vigorous process" as it is designed to extract cellulose from trunks, stems and leaves.  The process uses sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide which are both toxic substances.  These chemicals put the health of factory workers at risk and pollute the air and water with byproducts from the chemical process.

The fabric that is produced is soft to the touch, drapes beautifully, takes dyes well and is very absorbent.  So, riding the eco wave, banking on the green reputation of the bamboo plant and appreciating the good qualities of bamboo fabric, several designers came out with green clothing lines.  But when some of them started describing their products as "natural", "eco-friendly", "antibacterial or antimicrobial" and "biodegradable", questions were raised about the validity of their claims.  In August 2009, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged four companies with mislabeling their bamboo products and misleading their customers.

The FTC took issue with marketing claims that the fabrics were "100% bamboo".   Due to the process used to turn the bamboo plant into fiber, the manufacturers were actually making rayon.  Rayon starts with any plant pulp.  It may start out as organic matter, but the end product no longer resembles the original, natural material.  It should be called "bamboo rayon" to be accurate.

This relates to a second disputed claim that the bamboo fabric is "antibacterial or antimicrobial", meaning it kills or limits the growth of bacteria, fungi or viruses.  The companies were charged because they were unable to convince the FTC that bamboo's original properties can survive a vigorous chemical process.

A third claim is that the bamboo fabric is produced in an "environmentally-safe manner".  Hydrolysis alkalization is the process that turns bamboo pulp into rayon and it requires two powerful chemicals.  Both substances are toxic and release harmful gases.

The fourth disputed claim is that the bamboo fabric is "biodegradable".  In order for that claim to be true, the companies needed to show that the bamboo fabric would "... completely break down and return to the elements found in nature in a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal."

During the FTC investigation, comments from the public and the industry suggest the possibility that there is "competent and reliable evidence" to support some of the claims.  On the internet, there are brief references to tests that supposedly prove the bamboo fabric is biodegradable and antimicrobial.  However, the full reports were not available for this writer to review.

Further, those who advocate on behalf of bamboo fiber propose that a closed loop system, which captures the majority of the chemicals used, defends the environmental safety claim.  However, not all manufacturers use the closed loop system.

A costly, labor-intensive but greener method is to use natural enzymes to break down the plant parts so fibers can be combed out and spun into yarn.  There are also attempts to replace the chemicals currently in use with less harmful substances.  Finally, there is the argument that bamboo fabric should be forgiven for using polluting chemicals because the same substances are used to either manufacture, process or make up other common household products (soap, paper, dyes, commercially-grown cotton, commercial drain and oven cleaners).

Regardless of the solutions to green the manufacturing process, or the debate over lesser evils, the FTC has labeling requirements that manufacturers and designers must follow.  The FTC has also issued an environmental marketing guide and a marketing advisory specifically for bamboo fabrics.

Three of the four companies have settled their cases with the FTC.  The fourth has gone to litigation.  These cases highlight how easy it is to misrepresent the "green" value of a product.

Consumers who expect a green product should ask more questions when there is a lack of science to support claims, where there is no independent, third-party certification, when anecdotes are repeated as facts, and if explanations are just not clear.  It is disappointing to discover that the high prices don't actually support the environmental benefits that are expected.  So it is best to scrutinize product labels and ask questions when general statements are made around green buzzwords.

There are designers who don't think bamboo fabric is ideal for their products, especially those who strive for 100% organic certification.  They have already turned to other fibers that can be organically grown and processed, like cotton, hemp and flax.  For all the hype about bamboo fiber, it has to be blended with other fibers to achieve the desired softness and strength, and consumers have found that it pills easily and loses its shape.  In the end, it should be about whether the consumer can trust the product and the marketing.

LINKS AND OTHER RESOURCES
For a lot more information about bamboo, bamboo fiber/fabric and bamboo rayon in one place, Michael Lackman covers the issues quite thoroughly in his blogs :

• Sprouting Green Myths
• Bamboo: Facts Behind the Fiber

TERMINOLOGY
To help you make heads or tails of green buzzwords, the following terms are defined by
1) the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and
2) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as:

Biodegradable

1) Capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (as microorganisms).
2) The ability of a substance to be broken down physically and/or chemically by microorganisms.

Green

1)
a : relating to or being an environmentalist political movement
b : concerned with or supporting environmentalism
c : tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting)

Natural

1)
a : growing without human care; also : not cultivated <natural prairie unbroken by the plow>
b : existing in or produced by nature : not artificial <natural turf> <natural curiosities>
c : relating to or being natural food

Organic

1)
a (1) : of, relating to, or derived from living organisms <organic evolution>
a (2) : of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides <organic farming> <organic produce>

2) Organically grow
Food, feed crops, and livestock grown within an intentionally-diversified, self-sustaining agro-ecosystem. In practice, farmers build up nutrients in the soil using compost, agricultural wastes, and cover crops instead of synthetically derived fertilizers to increase productivity, rotate crops, weed... mechanically, and reduce dramatically their dependence on the entire family of pesticides. Farmers must be certified to characterize crops as organically grown and can only use approved natural and synthetic biochemicals, agents, and materials for three consecutive years prior to harvest ...

Sustainable

1)
a : of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged <sustainable techniques> <sustainable agriculture>
b : of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>

2) Sustainable agriculture - Environmentally friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to the farm as an ecosystem, including effects on soil, water supplies, biodiversity, or other surrounding natural resources. The concept of sustainable agriculture is an "intergenerational" one... in which we pass on a conserved or improved natural resource base instead of one which has been depleted or polluted. Terms often associated with farms or ranches that are self-sustaining include "low-input," organic, "ecological," "biodynamic," and "permaculture."

The terms Environmentally-friendly and Environmentally-safe are difficult to define.

Consumer Reports provided an explanation that included this:  "The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) consider this claim to be too vague to be meaningful to consumers. The FTC guidance requires manufacturers to either avoid such terms or substantiate and qualify them to avoid misleading consumers. To comply with the ISO standard for environmental claims (which is voluntary), companies must not use them on their products."

The Consumer Reports Label Index may help the public understand various green words and phrases.