Green Daily

Bamboo fabric is catching on. Go into even the most mainstream of retailers and you'll see sheets, towels and blankets made of bamboo fabric. Bamboo fans love the fabric for its softness and its earth-friendly qualities. It can also be made into flooring known for its strength.

According to a recent NPR report, the bamboo that we see here mostly comes from plantations in China. Experts think that someday bamboo could be grown here in the U.S., perhaps replacing cotton fields, which require loads of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Bamboo is highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and does not require chemicals and pesticides. It's also an extremely fast-growing plant.

However, this report also notes that it's harder to grow bamboo than some proponents claim. Another downside according to the report, is that the process currently used to make bamboo into fabric is "nasty." Bamboo is converted into fabric in a process using chemicals and solvents that are similar to those used to produce rayon. Proponents claim that the process could be easily improved and that the other eco-friendly qualities of bamboo should weigh in and most likely outweigh the cons, at least when bamboo is compared to cotton.