I've had alot of inquiries about the "green" aspects of bamboo. I hope to clarify this for you here.
Bamboo is the fastest growing "grass" on the planet, growing as much as 36" a day. When harvested, it's vast root system regenerates shoots and there is no need to re-plant. As such, it is emminantly easy to grow, as it is naturally disease resistant and requires virtually no pesticides or herbicides. So far so good. Making fabric out of bamboo is another story. The predominant method utilizes a chemical process called hydrolisis alkalization. This, combined with multi phase bleaching, breaks down the plant material and creates a viscose solution which is extruded into fiber. This process is very similar to the manufacturing of rayon. It is very chemical intensive. A second, less used method mechanically breaks down the bamboo and adds natural enzymes to allow for the plant fibers to be extracted. This process produces "bamboo linen", so named due to the similarity of processing the flax plant into linen. Unfortunately, this produces a less uniform and much more expensive product. Some newer techniques, which are more eco-friendly, are beginning to emerge, but have yet to acheive any signifigant market position. Bamboo fabric is inherently antimicrobial and is extremely soft and silky. Whether it can be called "environmentally friendly" is up to the marketeer. For more information on fabrics, custom apparel, or private labeling go to http://www.style-source.com/ .