Bamboo clothes

[Mitty]

I got these socks for Christmas - the luxury thin ones and the fat hiking ones (ladies) . They are so soft and the fat ones are very warm.

I don't know any numbers but I think bamboo uses far less water than cotton and it can be grown in more marginal areas with shorter fallow times. But there must be some downside to it or everything would be made out of it.

[Gill Catton]

I don't have any clothing in it but will be knitting a blanket out of bamboo yarn it feels lovely and soft

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Ive got about 3 bamboo affliction t-shirts.......

That sounds like something a penitential monk would be wearing ....
Seems that I ought to try some of these things out.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

That sounds like something a penitential monk would be wearing ....
Seems that I ought to try some of these things out.

I could'nt imagen a monk wearing it, it would be a major clash in culture.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Mitty

I don't know any numbers but I think bamboo uses far less water than cotton and it can be grown in more marginal areas with shorter fallow times. But there must be some downside to it or everything would be made out of it.

The growing may be all right, but I understand that turning bamboo into useable fibre/yarn is an intensively industrial process - perhaps not so eco-friendly as some say.

henrya

[tom00_uk]

though not perfect bamboo is a lot better than cotton,

cotton plant needs a lot of water and is treated with a lot of pesticides when in the field

[worthyone]

Bamboo is produced on a commercial scale only in China, a quick growing crop that needs little attention. The problem primarily comes in how it's treated, if prepared mechanically, no problem; if treated chemically this may be bad for both workers and environment.

For more information see: Organic_Clothing: Bamboo Sprouting Green Myths

[alge]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

though not perfect bamboo is a lot better than cotton,

cotton plant needs a lot of water and is treated with a lot of pesticides when in the field

Originally Posted by worthyone

Bamboo is produced on a commercial scale only in China, a quick growing crop that needs little attention. The problem primarily comes in how it's treated, if prepared mechanically, no problem; if treated chemically this may be bad for both workers and environment.

For more information see: Organic_Clothing: Bamboo Sprouting Green Myths

Originally Posted by thunder

The growing may be all right, but I understand that turning bamboo into useable fibre/yarn is an intensively industrial process - perhaps not so eco-friendly as some say.

henrya

I think it (bamboo) faces the same problems as many other monoculture crop, loss of natural habitat to accommodate its production, refinements and processing. The questions over these types of issues are huge. I am currently compiling a study for my trade association as we have just lost a fantastic cotton product that will no longer be made due to changes in E.U legislation and the use of hazardous substances which are used in the production of cotton for our sectors purposes. The more I look into it the less fantastic it would appear to have been, define fantastic i ask myself - end user properties exclusively was probably the rational.

In regard of the original post - It is widely acknowledged that outside of food production (only because its hard to verify in some countries) Cotton growing alone uses one third of the global consumption of pesticides. Its hard to get a figure on consumption of chemicals used in processing due to the vast array of products it yields. Organic cotton produced overseas (as all fibre production should) throws up questions of safe working environments for those producing products at several stages of processing/refinement. I cant imagine ambient extraction let alone personal respirators being used in many mills outside the E.U. its a hugely tricky subject before you even throw in cloth miles, yarn miles question the power supply going to the factory and how that source was derived................................ O.M.G. or even G.M. or even questioning the ethics or purchasing policy of the retail outlet Aghhhhh Too much i wish i hadn't read this thread.

[dampflippers]

I bought some cheapo bamboo socks for son from a supermarket and they aren't good. Lumpy and look worm out after only a few washes.
I haven't tried any better quality items.

[Hedera]

Perhaps you'll find him some with a panda print!!