Bamboo clothing is as soft as cotton but has a silk-like sheen, making it one of the most comfortable materials to
wear against the skin. You can wash it and dry it like cotton, and it will resist wrinkling if removed from the dryer
immediately and may also be ironed. It does not require fabric softener or bleach. Bamboo fabric air-dries faster than
cotton which is why it is a favorite with campers, hikers, kayakers and exercise fanatics alike.

IS BAMBOO REALLY "GREEN"?
Bamboo is a renewable resource and is claimed to be the fastest growing plant in the world - growing as fast as 47 inches
in a 24 hour period. Bamboo may be selectively harvested after 7 years, whereas trees need 30-40 years of growth, and
bamboo regenerates with replanting. Bamboo can also yield 20 times more timber than trees on the same area.

Bamboo generates 30% more oxygen than trees and is considered an important element in the balance between oxygen
and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Because of its wide spread root system and large canopy, bamboo greatly reduces
rain run-off and massive soil erosion. It also helps mitigate water pollution due to its high nitrogen consumption, makin
it a solution for excess nutrient uptake of waste water from manufacturing, livestock farming and sewage treatment.

China has the most abundant resource of bamboo, with more than 400 different species. It is grown with out the use
of pesticides or herbicides, and does not require irrigation.

Bamboo is considered "green" for the following reasons:
•     It is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers
•     Bamboo requires no irrigation and is drought and drowning tolerant
•     Bamboo rarely requires re-planting
•     Bamboo grows rapidly and can be harvested within 3-5 years
•     Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees
•     Bamboo is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide
•     Bamboo is an excellent soil erosion inhibitor

BAMBOO FIBER
Basically there are two manufacturing processes for bamboo fabrics - mechanical and chemical. Most of the bamboo
fabrics privided in apparel is from the chemical process, providing the softer feel. The main chemical used in processing
is sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda. Caustic soda is one of the most widely used chemicals in the world -
used in food production, soap making, manufacturing of bio-diesel, paper production, and also on cotton fabrics. While
caustic soda is a strong chemical, it poses no health hazard if used and disposed of properly.

The bamboo is ground up and made into a liquid pulp and using a chemical process, providing cellulose fibers technically
classified as "viscose" and is properly labeled as "viscose from bamboo". Viscose from bamboo is what the bamboo fabric
and apparel is made from.

There are many questions raised around the processing of bamboo fibers, including chemical use and disposal methods
and pollution from hydrogen disulfide emissions. There are more environmentally friendly alternative methods for the
production of bamboo fibers and fabric, and steps still to be taken to enforce the ecologically sound methods to make
this "green" product even "greener".