Health & beauty
Bamboo clothing
Introduction
Most clothing labelled as “bamboo” is likely to be rayon. Are you being bamboozled?
Bamboo clothing is touted as the new black for the green shopper. But if you’re tempted to make a purchase, there’s something you should know. Most bamboo clothing is in fact rayon, a fabric manufactured using caustic chemicals.
Bamboo or rayon?
Bamboo
Bamboo is heralded for its ability to grow quickly with little or no need for pesticides. But the chemical process used to turn bamboo into soft wearable fabric is a different story.
Bamboo fibres are naturally tough. AgResearch Textile Testing Manager Lorraine Greer says the cellulose in bamboo has to be chemically dissolved and bleached. The result of this process is rayon: no traits of the original bamboo plant remain.
Bamboo can be mechanically processed, using a method similar to making flax into linen. But the fabric produced this way isn't the soft and silky stuff you find in clothes shops. It’s much coarser and a lot more expensive to manufacture.
About rayon
Rayon, also commonly known as viscose, is a fibre created from the cellulose found in plants and trees. A chemical process is used to dissolve the cellulose and turn it into rayon. Any plant or tree – not just bamboo – can be used as the source.
Misleading claims
"Bamboo" clothing
Most of the clothing we’ve seen in shops is labelled as “bamboo”, not as rayon. It’s also being sold with environmental claims that are likely to mislead consumers.
Take Jockey’s “bamboo” underwear range. Labels on the underwear claim “bamboo is a naturally sustainable and eco-friendly fibre source” and invite prospective purchasers to “love the softness, love the planet”. Bamboo can be grown sustainably but these types of claims are likely to lead consumers to believe the fabric itself is “green”.
Advertising for NZ Nature’s range claims its “bamboo” clothing provides “eco-friendly style and comfort for all seasons” and tempts customers to "experience the softness and comfort of eco-friendly bamboo". The ads also plug the fabric as “naturally anti-bacterial”.
Baby clothing manufacturer Green Bean also labels its "bamboo" range as "eco-friendly" and "anti-bacterial".
Anti-bacterial?
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently clamped down on similar claims made by American companies – it says they’re deceptive. Companies getting on the “anti-bacterial” bandwagon are also treading unsafe ground, the FTC warns. Bamboo itself may have anti-microbial properties but there’s no evidence that rayon made from bamboo retains these properties, it says.
NZ Nature told us its claims were based on tests commissioned by its Chinese supplier that indicated the fabric had "significant" anti-bacterial properties. It believes the tests, done by the Chinese offices of companies Intertek and SGS, are reliable. However, the results are at odds with the findings of independent research which show rayon derived from bamboo has minimal anti-microbial properties.
One recent US study by researchers at the University of Georgia concluded anti-microbial claims are not only misleading but rayon made from bamboo may be one of the least environmentally friendly choices a consumer could make. The study’s authors point out rayon production is inherently chemically-intensive, and most of the fabric is manufactured in China where environmental controls are rare.
The companies respond
- Pacific Brands, the manufacturer of Jockey underwear, told us it was in the process of updating labels on its "bamboo" range to ensure consumers received accurate information about the fibre content.
- NZ Nature's communications manager Wendy Riley says the company is "in the process of reviewing the labelling on our bamboo range and will make appropriate changes".
- Baby clothing manufacturer Green Bean says its garments "will be labelled 'rayon from organic bamboo' as new production begins". The company says the fabric it uses is sourced from a Chinese company, which grows certified organic bamboo and processes it into rayon. Rayon itself can’t be labelled "organic".
Labelling rules
All textiles sold here must be accurately labelled to show what they’re made from. It’s an offence under the Fair Trading Act to mislead customers about the fibre content of textiles or the environmental attributes of any product. Companies can be fined up to $200,000 for breaching the Act.
Regulations don’t specify exactly how rayon derived from bamboo should be labelled. But we’d expect international standards to be followed. Canada’s Competition Bureau has recently strengthened its labelling laws: these now require textiles derived from bamboo cellulose to be labelled as “rayon” or “rayon made from bamboo”.
Our view
- Companies that label clothing as “made from bamboo” are misleading their customers. Most “bamboo” textiles are rayon and should be labelled as such.
- Don’t be taken in by claims the fabric is “eco-friendly” or “green”. Unless the manufacturer can provide evidence to support these claims, they’re meaningless.
- You can complain to the Commerce Commission if you think a garment label or an environmental claim is misleading.
Report by Jessica Wilson.