What's all the fuss about bamboo? | AD

Let’s face it, we’ve heard lots about bamboo and it’s being heralded as the world’s most renewable material, but is it really that good? Join me as I take a look at why so many companies are using bamboo, ask if it’s really sustainable and take a look at why Boody really are top of the class!

What is bamboo?

Bamboo is a type of grass with a hard, woody, hollow stem. While historically used in clothing only for structural elements, such as the ribs of old-fashioned corsets, in recent years a range of technologies have been developed allowing the bamboo fibre to be used in a wide range of textile and fashion applications. Modern bamboo clothing is made from either 100% bamboo yarn or a blend of bamboo and other yarns such as cotton or other textile fibres including hemp, spandex and nylon.

Is it sustainable?

quick supplier

Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world… a bamboo cane can reach its full height within 8-10 weeks once a shoot emerges from the ground. About 100 million acres of the earth is covered with bamboo, mostly in Asia. When bamboo grows, it grows densely and clumps, enabling it to be grown in a comparatively small area which eases pressure on land use. Yields of bamboo of up to 150 ton per acre greatly exceed the yield of 25 tons for most trees and only 3-5 ton per acre for cotton.

A regenerative OXYGEN GIVER

Bamboo like grass can continually be re-harvested without damaging the surrounding environment and without the need to be replanted which puts a huge ease on maintenance and care. If you compare this to cotton—harvesting organic cotton requires the destruction of the entire crop causing bare soils to bake in the sun and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Before replanting next year’s crop the cotton farmers till the field which releases yet more CO2. On the other hand, Bamboo’s extreme growth minimizes CO2 and generates up to 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees. One acre of bamboo sequesters 150 tons of carbon dioxide per year while one acre of young forest only sequesters 45 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Plus, the extensive root system of bamboo and the fact that it is not uprooted during harvesting means bamboo actually helps preserve soil and prevents soil erosion.

WATER PRESERVER

Very little bamboo is irrigated. It can take more than 5,000 gallons of water to produce a bit more than 2 pounds of cotton, bamboo on the other hand requires only 130 gallons of water to produce 3 pounds and requires no irrigation.

nature doing nature

A significant benefit of using bamboo as the organic base for textile fibres is that there is no need for pesticides or fertilizers when growing bamboo (this however doesn’t always mean it isn’t). Bamboo also contains a substance called bamboo-kun – an antimicrobial agent that gives the plant a natural resistance to pest and fungi infestation.

VERSATILITY KING

Bamboo can also be used as food, fibre and shelter

It’s fair to say looking at these facts bamboo can be a highly sustainable resource when grown under the right conditions and allowed to do what it does best! It’s high growth rate, versatility, regenerative nature and lack of need for chemical harvesting, make it an incredible eco-friendly resource.

Why boody?

There are lots of companies selling bamboo clothing and while lots of them are great there will always be some, like with anything in the clothing industry that aren’t paying their workers fairly, do use chemicals on the bamboo and have less interest in preserving the land to name a few.

Here’s why I love Boody:

-Boody yarn is certified organic by OCIA (The Organic Crop Improvement Association).

-In order to strictly control the quality of raw material, Hebei Jiago (the company Boody work with) have established its own bamboo plantation in China. This is so they can keep strict control over its operations. They know that each bamboo stalk is of 100% natural growth and free of any chemical pesticides.

-All of the fibre produced at the facility in China is Oeko-Tex 100 certified meaning all the fibres have been tested and have been found to contain no trace chemicals that pose any health threat whatsoever.

-They work with a number of great charities such as Breast Cancer UK and Something To Look Forward To.

-They have a zero-waste manufacturing system so there is very little wastage as well as a closed-loop water system

-They pay their workers responsibly

-They use eco-dyes on their clothing

-Their packaging is recycled and printed with vegetable-based ink.

-They have a great list of certifications: ECOCERT (Ecocert has become the leader in Organic Certification globally), SGS (SGS performs a thorough range of independent tests on garment samples to ensure fabric content and quality are in-line with the content on our labels, as well as regulatory standards), ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 (Fair factories and consistent products), WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production)  (everything made under responsible conditions) PETA Vegan Approved (all body products are vegan!)

What’s not to love?! If you’d like to try something, you can use ‘SLOWHOME’ on the Boody website for 15% off.

Pictured: Women’s weekend zip up hoodie, Lyolyte hi-cut bikini, Active full leggings

If you’ve never tried bamboo pants you are in for a treat!

Figures in this blog were taken directly from the Boody site.