‘Bamboo’ label warning
11/02/2010
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned a large group of retailers that they must stop putting bamboo on the labels of clothing and other textile products made from viscose (rayon) rather than from genuine bamboo fibre.
“We need to make sure companies use proper labelling and advertising in their efforts to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers,” said the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, David Vladeck. “Rayon is rayon, even if bamboo has been used somewhere along the line in the manufacturing process. While we have seen action by some retailers to correct mislabelled clothing and textile products, our hope is that these warning letters will serve as a wake-up call to all companies, regardless of their size,” Vladeck said.
Commenting on the FTC announcement, the chief executive of Cocona, Brad Poorman, said: “Most ‘bamboo’ textile products, if not all, really are rayon, which typically is made using environmentally toxic chemicals in a process that emits hazardous pollutants into the air. While different plants, including bamboo, can be used as a source material to create rayon, there is no trace of the original plant in the finished rayon product.”
He said retailers and clothing manufacturers should only be able to claim their clothes have the eco-friendliness and functionality of bamboo (including anti-microbial properties) if they are made directly from bamboo fibre, often called mechanically processed bamboo. He said companies involved need to carry out scientific tests and analyses to show if the material really is bamboo fibre. “Relying on other people’s claims is not substantiation,” Mr Poorman said. “The seller is responsible for making truthful disclosures about the fibre content.”
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