From LiveMint.com – part of the Wall Street Journal group:

Given the increasing fragility of the earth, opting for green designs makes both aesthetic and ecological sense. However, choosing from a plethora of natural materials can be bewildering if you don’t know what you are looking at. Here are some “green” materials and their uses.

BAMBOO

This grass species is an extremely versatile material with more than 1,500 documented uses. Being one of the fastest growing plants in the world, it takes three-five years to mature compared with most wood species, which take between 12 and 20 years. Another advantage is that bamboo can grow even on infertile land. It is a viable alternative to wood, with certain species exhibiting strength and physical characteristics comparable with wood. Its extensive roots bind soil together and its rapidly growing green cover releases the much needed oxygen into the air. Bamboo can be worked on easily and is used to craft a wide variety of home products. New technological innovations have resulted in hi-tech industrial products such as laminated bamboo flooring, reconstituted bamboo board and corrugated bamboo mat roofing. Slats of bamboo, in varying degrees of thickness, are woven together to make the ubiquitous chiks (blinds) so common in hot and humid climates.

Full Article Here

This just in from the Southtown Star in Chicago

Consider shopping for eco-textiles when going green

February 26, 2008

By Christopher Appelt

This week, I want to discuss one of my wife’s favorite topics, clothes shopping (yes, she knows I wrote the previous sentence). I’m sure by now, many of you have become aware of various environmentally friendly clothes and other items made from fabric (like sheets).

You’ve probably seen things made of organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled fabrics and recycled soda bottles. There are even fabrics made from corn, soy and milk!

Despite the fact that I’m not very fashion forward, even I have noticed more and more eco-textile options. Yes, it seems that even the fashion industry is starting to be environmentally friendly, and fashion conscious folks won’t have to sacrifice.

As is always the case, we have to be vigilant and can’t necessarily take everything at face value. Take organic cotton, for example. Just like organic foods you buy at the grocery store, organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. That’s great because it causes less pollution.

However, cotton requires a lot of water to grow. Plus, an organic designation applies only to how the cotton was grown. The dyes and processing involved with making the fabric or clothing still can involve the use of nasty chemicals.

Check the labels. Look for things like “low-impact fiber-reactive dyes” or even better, vegetable dyes. See if there is a statement about not using formaldehyde in finishing. You might also check to see if the fabric is a blend. If it is, see if it’s blended with another sustainable fiber like the ones I listed above.

Bamboo has been getting a lot of attention lately. I still remember seeing a bamboo shirt for the first time almost two years ago. I thought the concept was interesting, and the fabric felt as soft as silk.

What is so amazing about bamboo (there are many species of this type of grass) is how quickly and easily it grows. In fact, it has become a nuisance in some places where it has taken up residence as an exotic species. It can be grown without fertilizers or pesticides, so it doesn’t cause pollution. Not only has bamboo burst onto the scene as a sustainable textile, but it’s also a durable and useful building material for making bowls, furniture and flooring………

Full Article Here

Do You Bamboo?
By styleexchange
I learned that along with being soft, bamboo fabric is as durable as cotton if not more so, and bamboo can also grow up to four feet a day (!!!), so it’s not causing any harm to use it in our clothing.My boyfriend and I both picked up …
- http://styleexchange.wordpress.com

We got some nice coverage in the Taipei Times on the 25th of October.

 Most bamboo-clothing vendors are virtual stores, but Daniel Jacobs is the owner of Shirts of Bamboo, a bricks-and-mortar store in St Petersburg, Florida, that sells only bamboo clothing.

Full Article.

In today’s issue of Creative Loafing, they announced the category that Shirts of Bamboo have won!

Critics’ Picks
MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO SAVE THE PLANET: Shirts of Bamboo
2414 Central Ave
[map]
727-388-6913
http://ShirtsOfBamboo.com

They may be the perfect T-shirts. The eponymous garments at Shirts of Bamboo are odor- and moisture-resistant, washable, and they have built-in UV protection. Plus, they’re made from one of the most sustainable plants in the world, Mosu bamboo, a type of tropical grass grown in China (and not the same kind the pandas eat). Most important of all, these Tees are really, really comfortable — soft as silk but sturdy as cotton and made in a range of colors for both men and women. Shirts of Bamboo has hit on a brilliant idea here, and they don’t just make shirts from bamboo fiber; their towels and robes are extra-soft, too, and their miniature, reusable towelettes may make paper towels obsolete.

Here is the link to the entire list of winners.

We got a lovely review on the EcoChildsPlay blog for our 100% bamboo towelettes.

The compressed bamboo towelettes would be perfect for spills, babies, eyeglasses, camping, etc. and last for approximately one to three weeks before disintegrating. This may be a disposable product, but it is not a one time use disposable.

Check it out at: http://ecochildsplay.blogspot.com/2007/09/bamboo-toweletteshttpwwwbloggercomimggl.html