We have Bamboo floors, cutting boards, furniture and place mats. The newest edition to the very popular, environmentally friendly grass is baby clothes.
Bamboo has been used in China for thousands of years to make all kinds of everyday products, including textiles, building materials, and homewares. There are over 1,000 documented uses for bamboo.
Bamboo fibers are quickly emerging now in the fashion world. The fabric woven with bamboo yarn is light, almost translucent, and softer than cotton. It has a natural sheen that feels like silk or cashmere, but has the advantage of being machine-washable.
This natural fiber is hypoallergenic, absorbant, and fast-drying. It is naturally anti-bacterial and will not hold odor. Like other natural fibers, it allows the body to breathe as the fabric absorbs the sweat away from the body.
It also is the most sustainable of the natural fibers. It is fast-growing–the type of bamboo used for making fabric, commonly known as Moso, can reach a mature height of 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days. Because of it’s natural antibacterial properties, it needs no pesticides. If there is sufficient rainfall, no additional irrigation is required. It regenerates naturally through an extensive root system that sends out an average of four to six new shoots per year. Anyone who has ever planted bamboo in their backyard knows it grows fast and abundant. It can be harvested and harvest and it will grow again and again. And when your bamboo garment finishes it’s useful life, it can return to nourish the earth, as it is 100% biodegradable.
Baby cloths, Hats, and Crib sheets
I like the fact that bamboo doesn’t need pesticides. Of the total amount of pesticides used worldwide, it is estimated that 35% are applied to cotton fields in the United States. Close to 3 billion dollars worth of pesticides are used on cotton worldwide each year. Those figures are scary considering most of us only wear cotton every day.
