header
Bamboo Facts

Why Bamboo?

With the growing awareness of our environment, consumers want more information on the amount of resources required to produce the products they use. This is why bamboo is such an amazing plant. Bamboo is used as a resource for many things such as building products, textiles, food and medicine. More importantly, bamboo also works as a highly effective air filter absorbing huge amounts of carbon dioxide while cooling and oxygenating the air.

As the most eco-sustainable textile currently on the market, bamboo helps to keep a baby’s footprint virtually carbon-free. As the world demands more energy, products made from bamboo fiber help to offset that demand. The combination of bamboo’s qualities and the positive impact it has on the environment is what truly fueled our passion to start Midori Bamboo. Bamboo is a remarkable renewable and sustainable resource.

Bamboo is naturally grown, without assistance from man. None of our bamboo fiber comes from tropical forests. Bamboo thrives naturally without using any pesticides or fertilizers. As the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years. Bamboo is actually classified as a grass, not a tree. Think how long it takes to grow a tree to full maturity. Bamboo does not require replanting because it continually creates new sprouts.  It spreads rapidly across large areas. Because of this, bamboo is known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of  land.

When growing bamboo, there is substantially less water and no pesticides or fertilizer is needed to produce the plants than if the farmer were growing cotton. Bamboo, unlike cotton, has a natural bio-agent in it called bamboo kun. This bamboo kun is what keeps pests from attacking the bamboo, but also keeps pathogens from making the plant sick. Eventually, this bio-agent will also be what makes the bamboo fabric antibacterial.

Clothing made from bamboo has particular natural antibacterial functions that remain in the fabric even after multiple washings. Bamboo fabric also kills odor-causing bacteria that live on human skin, making the wearer and his or her clothing smell sweeter.

Bamboo fabric and bamboo clothing products do not stick to the skin and unlike any other fabric in the world, in hot weather it feels physically cooler to the touch. Due to the porous nature of the fabric, it traps air to keep the wearer warmer in cold weather. Bamboo fiber is more breathable, comfortable and thermal regulating than cotton, wool or any other synthetic fiber thereby keeping you cooler, drier and more comfortable all day.

Bamboo clothing is hypoallergenic. Bamboo’s natural properties make it non-irritating to the skin making it a pleasant alternative for anyone with skin sensitivities or other allergies. Bamboo clothing also protects you from UV rays, naturally.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, mainly because it has extraordinary water absorbency, which helps it grow fast. In fabric it retains this unique, remarkable property. It is 3-4 times more absorbent than cotton. Bamboo fiber ‘wicks’ moisture away from the body and evaporates, keeping you naturally drier and more comfortable.

Bamboo fabric is exceptionally soft and resembles the softness of silk or cashmere. It has less shrinkage than cotton and does not pill.

How is Bamboo fiber manufactured?

There are essentially two ways to produce bamboo fiber, mechanically or chemically. The mechanical process involves crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then steam and boil with natural enzymes and non-toxic additives to break down the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so the natural fibers can be combed out and spun into yarn. This is the most expensive process, and this is the process Midori Bamboo chooses with certification from our manufacturer. Our manufacturer adopts a physical process in material-refining and produces bamboo fiber without any pollution or chemical elements. With the highest natural degradation of 100% bamboo fiber it is truly the green fiber in terms of environmental protection.

The chemical process, the most highly discussed in the media, uses sodium hydroxide to help soften the bamboo fiber, which is non-toxic and does not enter the food chain. It is easily neutralized into salt and water. Sodium hydroxide is one of the most widely used chemicals in the world. It is used in food production, soap making, production of paper, and is used on nearly all cotton fabrics including organic cotton, during wet processing. Sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, is approved for use on textiles, under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This process is completely closed, which means that the release of byproducts into the environment is negligible. More safety and restrictions are implemented with this process than any placed on producing cotton and polyester. Our manufacturer  is certified by Oeko-Tex 100, which means that no harmful chemicals were used in the production of our products and that are no chemicals present in the product that would be harmful to human health, including the health of babies.

                                                         
            Facts to consider about eco-friendly bamboo would be:

  • - Bamboo is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers
  • - Bamboo is an excellent soil erosion inhibitor
  • - Bamboo is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
  • - Bamboo requires no irrigation
  • - Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than an equal stand of trees
  • - Bamboo rarely needs replanting
  • - Bamboo grows rapidly and can be harvested in 3-5 years. It is the fastest growing plant on earth.
  • - We think Bamboo is a miracle plant.

           Midori Bamboo is proud to share the many qualities of  bamboo fiber  while helping you take baby steps  toward a Greener Tomorrow.

 

Quality Certificate
Fair Trade Practice:
Our products are not manufactured in a sweatshop. All of the workers are protected by the Labor Contract Law, which stipulates insurance coverage, minimum wages, and maximum work hours. Midori Bamboo reassures you that the products you are buying are benefiting the employees and their families.

Oeko-Tex100 eco-Certification:
This certification provides information that a Company is environmentally responsible. It is a third party certification such as Oeko-Tex 100.

About Oeko-Tex100
Developed by several renowned textile institutes in Europe, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Marketing is a global and reputable environmental certification for ecologically sound products. It comprehensively addresses the Human Ecology component of textile products. It evaluates and screens for any harmful substances present within processed textiles intended to come into contact with consumers. Oeko-Tex100 offers “Confidence in textiles-an international synonym for responsible textile production-from the raw material to the finished product on the store shelves. The Oeko-Tex100 label indicates to the consumer the added benefits of tested safety for skin-friendly clothing and other textiles. The test label provides an important decision-making tool when purchasing textiles”