Living and Looking Good: How These Bamboo Brands Help Sustain The World
It is no secret that the world is significantly less green than it could be, from massive deforestation to satisfy the logging industry, to oil spillage into the ocean, to growing landfills and litter tossing around on the streets. More and more fashion and lifestyle brands are doing things to minimise their environmental impact, attempting to promote sustainability by using bamboo fibres and becoming bamboo brands.
Bamboo has recently got a lot of attention as it is an incredible alternative to unsustainable materials, like plastic, and is a fast-growing, biodegradable and inexpensive resource. This plant does not need pesticides to grow and can mature in 3-5 years.
Another amazing fact is that bamboo produces 3 times more oxygen than trees. No wonder that this miraculous plant is now used in fashion as bamboo textile can have a softness of silk and be highly durable, leading to many sustainable bamboo brands.
Ettitude – where comfort meets sustainability
This bamboo brand, Ettitude, is a Los Angeles based startup, making sustainable bedding and sleepwear from the world’s first CleanBamboo™ fabric, with a vision for a better way of living.
The company designs and makes organic, vegan and 100% cruelty free products to have as little impact on the environment as possible. In addition, Ettitude not only makes sustainable designs, but it also promotes an ethical way of business by sourcing its bamboo through specially-certified forests and donating 1% of its profits to the environmental non-profit organisations.
At the start of 2020, when Australia was hit by a bushfire crisis, the startup hosted a raffle, donating all the raised money and bedding to communities that were affected the most.
Living and Looking Good: How These Bamboo Brands Help Sustain The World – CleanTech News
Image courtesy of Ettiude
Another impressive fact, is that Ettitude’s bamboo textiles are produced promoting a closed loop system meaning it recycles and reuses water up to 200 times, recycling nearly 98% of water along the process, according to the spokesperson for Ettitude.
What is more, it looks like investors believe in the potential of the startup – the company has recently raised $1.6 million in funding.
Lauren Razek – timeless and versatile dresses
Inspired by mythology and ancient civilisations, Lauren Razek (LR) creates dresses with an enchanting story focusing on the quality, ethics and sustainability. The company is based in London, yet the dressmaking process happens in Egypt – LR ensures their employees work under ethical conditions, receiving equal pay and rights.
LR garments are made of long-lasting bamboo fabric that is soft to touch and has a luxurious look. The company promotes quality and combats fast fashion as well as the damage it is causing to the environment.
In addition, the team working behind the brand promotes transparency in the industry, linking it with the latest technologies. Each of their garments has a special stamp within the label which can be scanned by smartphone and thus a customer can see the whole supply chain process that is recorded with the help of blockchain technology.
LR is also committed to donating a portion of their profits to help eliminate female genital mutilation in Egypt.
tasc Performance – no to polyester in sportswear
tasc Performance is a lifestyle apparel startup that designs and makes clothes for any activity, whether that is running, yoga, golf, tennis or just a simple work out.
Based in New Orleans, LA, the company’s mission is to “enhance the active experience through the innovation of original fabrics”.
The main fabric which is made from timber bamboo, cotton and merino wool, keeps the softness and comfort while having the performance benefits of synthetic fabric.
The most impressive fact about the fabric is that it is not only anti-odor and breathable, but it also has a UPF 50+ protection against the sun.
At tasc Performance, the power that is required to run the knitting and sewing facilities is 100% generated from solar and wind. Furthermore, the company recovers nearly 99% of its wastewater and reuses it in a circular process.
Additionally, tasc Performance do not use any synthetic materials in their garments, making 72% of their products out of natural fibers.