How Sustainable is Bamboo Fabric?

For many years, bamboo has been used in many different applications, from building materials to paper. For the last twenty years, it has also been used by the textile industry as an alternative to cotton, often extolled for its sustainability credentials. However, how much of that is greenwashing is up for debate. In this lesson, we examine just how sustainable it really is. 

Increasingly, fashion brands are turning to bamboo textiles as a more sustainable alternative to cotton or synthetic fibres.  But clouded by a lack of information and transparency about its manufacture, how sustainable is it? 

We bring you the answers to those questions and determine once and for all how sustainable bamboo fabric really is.  We also cover legally what you need to know to incorporate bamboo textiles into clothing and case study brands using bamboo responsibly - what they're doing well and how they can improve.

In this Masterclass, you will learn:

• About the natural properties of the bamboo plant and how it differs from other fibres for textiles 
• What the different types of bamboo fabric are
• How the different types of bamboo fabric can be used 
  
• About the process involved in making the various types of bamboo fabric 
  
• The sustainability credentials of the different types of bamboo fabric 
  
• About the regulations in place for bamboo fabric 
  
• How bamboo fabric is labelled in the EU, US and Canada 
  
• How fashion brands are working with bamboo and what they are doing to address the sustainability issues 

While sustainability in bamboo production remains relatively opaque, Charlie investigates brands working with the fibre and how they ensure their production processes are as responsible as possible. Learn from the case studies about what you can implement in your own business and ideas on where you could improve.

Cotton has long been relied on as a staple material for the fashion industry. However, it is not without its ethical and sustainable challenges. Finding new alternatives that decrease our reliance on cotton is one of the most essential things we - the fashion industry - can do to improve our environmental impact. In this lesson, we look at new materials presenting an alternative to cotton.