Bamboo is a perennial plant with rhizomatous roots that facilitate its reproduction and natural cultivation. The plants do not require special care or pesticides and have a rapid development even in extreme situations. These characteristics have allowed it to gain the reputation of great tenacity but also flexibility: characteristics that are also transmitted in bamboo products.
Its uses are varied and range from the construction of structures, furnishings but also for food use up to its use in the textile sector. Textile products made of bamboo fiber are very soft and have a hand similar to that of silk, they are also very resistant over time. Bamboo fiber naturally has a special anti-bacterial agent that makes it particularly suitable for contact with the skin. Fabrics obtained from bamboo are very soft and bright and naturally elastic, for this reason they are very popular with the female public, furthermore it is also possible to produce a sponge-type fabric to be used for towels and washable diapers, which will remain softer over time than cotton and will dry faster.
Among the ecological fibers it is the most controversial and there is conflicting information about its real benefits for the environment. Of course, before giving a general judgment, it is necessary to consider each case, because for bamboo the ecology of the processing depends on the company that produces the fabric, if it is a company that produces only natural fabrics it will have every interest in carrying out an eco-sustainable process, if it is a conventional company we cannot be sure.
Having clarified the fact that bamboo cultivation is absolutely interesting and as we have seen before has a positive environmental impact, let's now point the finger at its transformation into fiber. In fact, what is found on the market is actually bamboo viscose made with chemical processes and is among the artificial fibers (more impactful than natural ones but less than synthetic ones). After having made this clarification it would seem natural to condemn it but let's try to look at it from another point of view. First of all, the production of bamboo viscose occurs in a closed cycle, that is, all the chemical products are reused and not thrown away as happens for the production of other viscoses. Furthermore, we believe that a fiber is more or less ecological if compared to other similar ones, so if bamboo is less ecological than cotton we can still say that it is more ecological than traditional viscose both in the production phase of the raw material and in the production phase of the fiber.
