What's the scoop on bamboo?

[Salihah]

I'm expecting a new baby and basically starting my stash all over again. I cloth diapered three of my babies, but have had a 4 year break and most of my stash has been sold or given away. When I last was cding, bamboo was just starting to show up in the diaper world. Now it seems to be everywhere!

What do you think of it? Pros or cons? I loved diapering with hemp/cotton fleece or jersey, how does it compare in care and absorbency? Is it durable?

Thank you!

[Ifluffedthree]

it is about the same absorbency.
you are going to see lots of bamboo on the chopping block with the CPSIA stuff coming into place as of last week.

Hemp/Cotton Fleece and Jersey are still always a safe bet.
Welcome back!

[Gabes Mommy]

I would say that it's about the same as hemp or cotton. I haven't seen any noticable differences.

[Salihah]

Thanks so much!

What's the scoop on the CPSIA now and cloth diapers?! Plllleeease don't let them take away my wahms.

[Ifluffedthree]

Originally Posted by DahlalLotus

Thanks so much!

What's the scoop on the CPSIA now and cloth diapers?! Plllleeease don't let them take away my wahms.

HR4040 is still making life miserable with the new law and jumping through the hoops.
Manufacturing tagging went into effect on the 14th. I think there will be some closing up shop due to the law.
Bamboo is front and center due to its not so environmentally friendly harvesting and preparations to bring the fiber to textile. It really is not something that is new if you know anything about Bamboo fabric or paper, but in short the poo on how un-earth friendly it is sorta it hit the CPSIA fan. So now there are specifics on how needs to be represented.

You won't go wrong with hemp, or cotton and bamboo really is squishy soft and lovely but if your conscious of the earth it might not be the best first choice.

[kickinitbabystyle]

I was reading somewhere that is has to be labeled as Bamboo Rayon due to the manufacturing process. It can still be green and made into fabric much the same way as hemp is, but it takes more time and $. I will try and find the link. I too love organic cotton/hemp. And, bamboo is pretty much the same as hemp far as care and absorbancy. Just like hemp fleece it is soft, but extremely soft

[hrsmom]

Here's a link about bamboo processing

Personally, I think someone or some group is trying to discredit bamboo for their own reasons.

As for bamboo meeting the legal definition of rayon, I believe that applies to material used in clothing, and that doesn't bother me anyway.

I have some lovely bamboo diapers. When my other diapers got stinky, they didn't! I haven't tried hemp, maybe with the next baby!

[Ifluffedthree]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007...mboo_cloth.php

something that I had read about 2 years ago.

[Salihah]

All this info on bamboo and earth ethics is interesting. I am very concerned with sustainable and fair farming, harvesting, and processing.

[Ifluffedthree]

Originally Posted by DahlalLotus

All this info on bamboo and earth ethics is interesting. I am very concerned with sustainable and fair farming, harvesting, and processing.

While this is not in relation to bamboo it is relative to your quote. It was recently released in Time and seems to have been picked up in other news sources as well.

I thought it was a good piece. I am doing a communications speach on it tomorrow.

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/26004

[Salihah]

Thank you for sharing that link, I'm going to read it now. I get Time magazine in the mail and was appreciative for the article on the real cost of "cheap" food. A couple weeks before that, Time did an article on the movement of suburban and urban families deciding to raise livestock, like chickens, goats, etc. and seeking sustainable small-scale farming. I loved to see such an article in a large, mainstream publication!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...4991-2,00.html

[Salihah]

Originally Posted by Ifluffedthree

I thought it was a good piece. I am doing a communications speach on it tomorrow.

Best wishes for your speech! Let us know how it goes!

[Ifluffedthree]

Originally Posted by DahlalLotus

Time magazine in the mail and was appreciative for the article on the real cost of "cheap" food. !

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...4991-2,00.html

Yep, one in the same. I really thought it was a good article. Class learned something and a bit more about GMO's (corn, soybeans, beetsugars) not having to be FDA regulated.

I got an A. Thanks.

[kickinitbabystyle]

Originally Posted by Ifluffedthree

While this is not in relation to bamboo it is relative to your quote. It was recently released in Time and seems to have been picked up in other news sources as well.

I thought it was a good piece. I am doing a communications speach on it tomorrow.

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/26004

WOW!!

[kokonutmama]

They are coming down on labeling laws recently, but nothing as really changed as far as bamboo except maybe some more controversy and confusion. It's still the same stuff. As far as I know, the FTC said nothing about the harvesting of bamboo being "less than sustainable." Their remarks were more about the processing (using caustic soda, a widely used chemical used to make all sorts of things and, according to our fiber supplier, reused and/or contained in the processing) and certain claims people, including myself, have been making and repeating. One is that bamboo fabric retains its anti-microbial properties through the rayon-type processing into fibers for fabric. There are studies out there that report both ways. I don't know why the FTC doesn't seem to provide the source for their own claim that it does not. Another is that bamboo fabric is biodegradable. This is a funny one. Bamboo fabric will decompose under the right circumstances. It will not decompose in a landfill. Neither will very much else. That doesn't mean that bamboo fabric is not biodegradable, it just means we can't _call_ it that unless we qualify it so people don't think if they put their shirt in the city trash it will decompose. There's some back and forth going on, and I'm not to the bottom of it all yet. Right now everything I've said in this post is to the best of my knowledge and not to be taken as gospel. I still stand by bamboo as among the more sustainable choices for fabric if you want something really nice and silky smooth, absorbent and comfy.