How to Select Hemp and Bamboo Clothing
One of the major reasons to wear hemp or bamboo clothing is that it can be far more ecologically friendly than any cotton except that which is organically grown. Both plants grow well without the intense use of pesticides that characterizes most cotton cultivation. Even organic cotton demands a lot of water. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose certified organic hemp and bamboo. Many of the manufacturers of these products are embracing planet sustainability as their mantras.
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Consider hemp. When most of us think of hemp, rope first comes to mind. Hemp fabric is no longer limited to use as burlap. It doesn't wrinkle readily, so it's a good choice for travel. It's been used as clothing for generations. In fact, hemp has a hallowed place in American History. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. The original Declaration of Independence was written on the material.
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Understand why bamboo is considered so environmentally friendly. It's one of the fastest growing plants on earth, shooting up as much as a yard a day sucking up the planet's carbon dioxide, turning it into a useful crop. Bamboo matures quickly and can be harvested in as little as four years. It has an extensive root network so it doesn't require replanting. It doesn't need a lot of pesticides, nor does it require much if any fertilizer, further cutting the need for gas guzzling farm equipment.
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Avoid chemically processed bamboo. This one factor can offset bamboo clothing's green allure. Some manufacturers use toxic chemicals to soften bamboo fibers. The chemicals used are extremely hazardous and can cause health risks to anybody who works with them. It's also hard to dispose of the waste.
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Choose bamboo linen, the term used to describe the greener version of bamboo clothing manufacturing. This process relies on a mechanical method similar to than used for making both hemp and linen from flax. It shares many of those fibers characteristics but is more costly because it's labor intensive.
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Watch for new methods of processing bamboo on the horizon. GreenYarn, a Boston startup, is developing a clothing line made from bamboo charcoal that process by nano-technology. The company is secretive about its methods, but it claims to be more sustainable than soaking bamboo in toxic chemicals.
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Comments
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it's amazing!
