Three companies settle over bamboo claims
13/08/2009
Three apparel manufacturers in the US have settled with regulators after claiming that garments containing bamboo-based viscose were eco-friendly and had anti-microbial properties. A fourth company has refused to settle and is sticking to its claims.
The Federal Trade Commission has said that that the four companies are making unsubstantiated claims because bamboo viscose fibres go through a different production process to fabrics and fibres made from natural bamboo fibre. The companies' claims would have been accurate if they had been using natural bamboo fibre, which is processed in a similar way to linen.
Viscose, however, is a man-made fibre that can contain bamboo or other plants, but which uses harsh chemicals in the production process and retains none of the natural antimicrobial properties of bamboo.
Sami Designs, Pure Bamboo and CSE are the companies that agreed to settle with the FTC and to stop making inaccurate claims about their products. Ecotextile News has reported that the fourth company, M Group, is insisting that its products are made from a synthetic fibre derived from bamboo, but that the fabric is superior to viscose fabric made from other plant material.
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