Bamboo: The call for recycling, sustainable production methods and environmentally friendly cultivation of raw materials such as cotton or wood is becoming louder and louder. And bamboo plays a key role in the considerations of many environmental activists in the clothing industry.

Bamboo has recently attracted a lot of attention in the fashion industry as well as in everyday textiles such as bed linen, towels and bathrobes. We are also convinced that it is the perfect feel-good fibre, which is not only wonderfully soft and particularly colour-stable, but also has an exceptional temperature-balancing effect - cooling in summer and warming in winter.

The focus with bamboo is on its potential environmental friendliness in combination with its luxuriously soft texture, beautiful drape and many other positive properties. But what exactly is so great about bamboo and do textiles made from this material really deliver what they promise in countless advertising texts? The fact is: While bamboo has been used in Asian countries for many centuries, the western world only discovered the plant and its extraordinary properties relatively recently.

Ecological Benefits of Bamboo

As described above, bamboo has some immense advantages over other basic textile fibers such as wood (viscose) or cotton. Firstly, there are over 1,500 different species of bamboo. This diversity makes it more adaptable to different climates than most other types of wood. In addition, it can grow on over 70 percent of the earth's land area. Bamboo is extremely robust and, due to its immense growth rate, is one of the fastest-renewable resources on earth. Bamboo is also abundant in many rural areas where economic development is limited and can therefore also provide social benefits. By researching and developing further ways to use bamboo, rural areas have the opportunity to preserve their culture and lifestyle while improving their economic situation.

Comfort:

Connoisseurs of bamboo textiles attest that the fiber has the "shine of silk" and the "softness of cashmere". The fact is: bamboo clothing is comfortable, very breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-drying and heat-regulating. Bamboo fabric is also antistatic and its properties are more comparable to wool than synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester.

Antibacterial:

Bamboo is naturally antibacterial because it contains a bio-active ingredient called "Kun" by the Japanese, which prevents bacteria from growing on the surface of the fiber. Bamboo produces this active ingredient even after numerous chemical processing steps, so that bacteria also avoid bamboo textiles and thus prevent the development of bad odors. This eliminates the need for antimicrobial chemical treatment on bamboo textiles, which are known to cause allergic reactions and are harmful to the environment. But it also means that the garment needs to be washed less often, saving energy and extending the life of the clothing.

Heat regulation:

Wouldn't it be nice to have a fabric that makes you feel cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather? Sounds like a paradox, right? But that's exactly what bamboo can do. Bamboo fiber absorbs much more moisture and dries faster than cotton. In warm, humid weather, bamboo clothing doesn't stick to the skin. It keeps the body drier and cooler when it's too hot.

Hypoallergenic:

Bamboo is naturally hypoallergenic, which means it is less likely to cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.

Wrinkle-resistant:

Bamboo clothing is naturally more wrinkle-resistant than cotton. It may still need ironing after washing. However, bamboo fabric can be ironed at a much lower temperature than cotton and, with finer finishing, drapes almost as beautifully as Lycra or silk. Shrinkage during washing and drying is minimal at low temperatures. One technique to remove the few wrinkles caused by the washing machine's spin cycle is to put the clothes in a dryer for just two to five minutes. Then - and this is key - the bamboo clothes should be finished drying on a regular clothesline in the fresh air.

Farbecht:

Bamboo receives organic and natural dyes faster and more thoroughly with less dye usage than cotton, modal or viscose (rayon). The color on bamboo fibers remains much more vibrant even after repeated use or washing and does not require reprocessing like cotton.

Easy-care and energy-efficient:

Bamboo can be machine washed in cold water (maximum 40 degrees) without any problems. Environmentally harmful and health-damaging fabric softeners are neither required nor recommended.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers are made from certified renewable wood sources, in an environmentally conscious manufacturing process that meets high environmental standards. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers are tailored to a sustainable lifestyle and contribute to a clean environment.

Tencel or Eco-Vero are materials that are also produced using viscose processes, but can only be called that with a certificate from the Austrian company LENZING. The difference is that here both the origin of the trees is checked and the circular process for chemicals is used.