Beau Merks
Bamboo VS. Monocel
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Currently people are claiming to have found an even better solution to replace bamboo. But weren't multiple designers using bamboo, because of the eco- and social friendly benefits? Right, so time to dive a little deeper into the origin and process of the Bamboo and Monocel fibres.
Growing bamboo is a wonderfully beneficial plant for the planet and most is naturally organic bamboo. The manufacturing processes where the bamboo plant is transformed into fabric are where the sustainability and eco-friendly assumptions of bamboo get rejected because of the heavy chemicals, some of which are toxic, that are often required. Very, very little bamboo clothing would qualify as sustainable or organic clothes. Although it has a lot of benefits regarding nature and their environment;
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Bamboo grows rapidly and naturally without any pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.
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Bamboo clothing (both mechanically and chemically manufactured) is 100% biodegradable and can be completely decomposed in the soil by micro-organisms and sunlight without decomposing into any pollutants such as methane gas
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Growing bamboo improves soil quality and helps rebuild eroded soil. The extensive root system of bamboo holds soil together, prevents soil erosion, and retains water in the watershed.
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Bamboo plantations are large factories for photosynthesis which reduces greenhouse gases. Bamboo plants absorb about 5 times the amount of carbon dioxide (a primary greenhouse gas) and produces about 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
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Bamboo fabrics and clothing can be manufactured and produced without any chemical additives although eco-certification such as Oeko-Tex is necessary to insure that the manufacturing and finishing processes are healthy.
The part where it goes 'wrong' is manufacturing the plant into an fibre to create textiles. There are two ways to process bamboo to make the plant into a fabric: mechanically or chemically. The mechanical way is by crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then use natural enzymes to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. This is essentially the same eco-friendly manufacturing process used to produce linen fabric from flax or hemp. Bamboo fabric made from this process is sometimes called bamboo linen. Very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because it is more labor intensive and costly. The chemical process requires cooking the bamboo leaves in different chemicals. Some examples are, NaOh, alkalization and bleaching. Research and experience has shown that those chemicals cause extreme health issues.
Features of bamboo:
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Bamboo fabric has a natural sheen and softness that feels and drapes like silk but is less expensive and more durable.
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Bamboo clothing is easy to launder in a clothes washer and dryer.
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Bamboo clothing is hypoallergenic.
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Bamboo is highly absorbent and wicks water away from the body 3 to 4 times faster than cotton. In warm, humid and sweaty weather, bamboo clothing helps keep the wearer drier, cooler and more comfortable and doesn’t stick to the skin.
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The structure of bamboo fibers make bamboo fabrics more breathable and thermal regulating than cotton, hemp, wool or synthetic fabrics.
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Bamboo clothing is naturally more wrinkle-resistant than cotton, and while it might still require ironing after washing, bamboo fabric can be ironed at a lower temperature than cotton. Shrinkage during washing and drying is minimal at warm temperatures.
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Bamboo fibers and fabrics absorb dyes faster and more thoroughly than cotton, modal and viscose with better color clarity.
Monocel is made of bamboo, but the process of obtaining the fibres is differently. The fibre used for Monocel is produced through a method called ‘lyocell’. This method has been used for producing wood based fibres for nearly 25 years. Instead of using chemicals, this method uses an organic solution. The solution is recycled and reused in a closed loop system, just like the water they need for the production. In short: no residues of harmful chemicals. Plus water consumption is reduced significantly.
sources:
http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/09/bamboo-facts-be.html