Not all fabric labelled as 'bamboo' is as sustainable as we'd like to think.
Rebecca Van Amber, senior lecturer at RMIT's School of Fashion and Textiles, said Australians have been sold a myth when it came to bamboo and most have bought it.Ms Van Amber said when Australian consumers bought fabric items labelled as ‘bamboo’ they were more often than not purchasing a type of rayon, also known as viscose, created in a process involving highly toxic chemicals.
“Then you take that pulp and you extrude it through a spinerrette and you're able to make a fibre that can coagulate,” she said. He said the chemicals used in the creation of viscose were “a heavy dosage of sulfuric acids, carbon disulphide and sodium hydroxide. "And there are lots of stories around how carbon disulphide actually can be fatal as well in terms of like the worker's health and its implications on long term health of those using it."Ms Van Amber said many consumers had been duped into associating what was sold as bamboo fabric in Australian shops, as being environmentally friendly thanks to images of green bamboo shoots and panda bears used in marketing.
He said people selling bamboo viscose in Australia were also claiming the products provided benefits that are associated with actual bamboo such as UV protection or anti-microbial properties. A spokesperson from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said they were unable to say how many complaints had been received on related matters but said it was unlawful for a business to make false or misleading claims.
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