Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that doesn't require much water or pesticides and it naturally regenerates. If planted and harvested conscientiously, this makes it an earth-friendly sustainable crop. But the process which is used to turn it into fabric is not so environmentally friendly. Specifically we are referring to "bamboo viscose". The vast majority of commercial producers of bamboo fabric use a viscose process to create bamboo rayon. This process requires the use of powerful toxic chemicals to dissolve the cellulose into a gooey viscose substance which is then pushed through spinnerets to create fibers. About half of all the dangerous chemicals used to create rayon fabrics cannot be reused and are discharged into the environment, creating massive amounts of toxic pollution. On top of that, substantial waste-gas emissions are produced by the “xanthation” process, another step in production. While bamboo rayon is a smooth and silky product, it is not environmentally sustainable. Technologies are evolving and we are keeping an eye out for the day when sustainably-produced bamboo fabrics become commercially available. Then we’ll definitely consider bamboo again!