Bamboo vs. Eucalyptus
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, sustainable fabric, you might consider Bamboo or Eucalyptus. You’re on the right track, so let’s unpack each fiber’s similarities and differences.
Where Eucalyptus Lyocell and Bamboo viscose are similar
- Bamboo viscose and Eucalyptus Lyocell are manufactured from sustainable sources, i.e. Bamboo and Eucalyptus trees.
- Bamboo and Eucalyptus trees don’t require much water to grow, nor do they require pesticides or insecticides.
- From a quality perspective, both are similar: soft, breathable, and smooth.
- Both Bamboo and Eucalyptus fibers are OEKO-TEX certified, which means the end products are completely safe for the skin/body.
Where Eucalyptus Lyocell and Bamboo viscose differ
Transforming bamboo from a tree to a fabric is where things can get a little messy.
Bamboo Viscose Production
There are two processes to convert bamboo into fabric: mechanical and chemical. Most bamboo is made chemically, so chances are your sheets, pillowcases, and T-shirts are chemically-derived. Viscose is the name of the process used to chemically transform bamboo into fiber.
The viscose process begins with the extraction of cellulose from bamboo wood pulp. The wood is broken down into tiny chunks, and soaked in sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide to remove the cellulose. (BTW, the CDC classifies carbon disulfide as a highly flammable neurotoxin and workers exposed to it are more prone to psychosis, heart attacks, and liver damage. 😳)
After that, the bamboo is compressed into sheets and pushed through a spinneret, which transforms the cellulose into strands. These strands are dipped in a vat of sulfuric acid to create filaments where they are spun into yarn that can be woven into fabric.
Overall, the viscose process can use more than 13 toxic chemicals, as well as vast amounts of energy and water. This is further compounded by the use of toxic dyes, anti-pilling, and finishing chemicals that are often used to give bamboo a soft, silky feel. The waste from this process––which can be as much as 50% of the solvents used––can seep back into the soil and water, causing significant environmental damage.
The Eucalyptus Lyocell Production Process
Similarly, the Lyocell process uses water and solvents to break down the Eucalyptus wood. The difference is Lyocell uses a closed-loop process which means that nearly 100% of the water and solvents used are recovered and reused again. The result is better water management and nearly zero waste.
Additionally, the solvent used in the lyocell process is called N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, or NMMO, which is generally considered less harmful to the environment and factory workers than the solvents used to dissolve bamboo wood. And because the lyocell process reuses nearly 100% of the solvents, there’s virtually no waste.
OEKO-TEX only certifies the end product
The International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology, or (mercifully) OEKO-TEX for short, ensures that all textiles and leather are safe for humans and the environment. There’s one small catch, though. OEKO-TEX only refers to the end product, meaning the fabric. They don’t look at the process, which is where the environmental damage is often done.
While both Bamboo and Eucalyptus fabric are OEKO-TEX certified, only Eucalyptus Lyocell uses a closed-loop process, significantly minimizing its environmental impact.
Most Bamboo fabric is made in China
The biggest exporter of bamboo fabric is China. Sure, it’s cheaper to make things in China, but that savings comes at a cost, thanks in part to China’s lax––or non-existent––environmental and human rights standards.
This results in a production process that may be more environmentally damaging and ethically compromising than necessary and raises a lot of questions. Is the bamboo grown on arable land? Is wastewater managed properly? Are workers paid fairly and treated well?
There’s little to no oversight or transparency at these factories, so we may never know the answers.
S&G’s Eucalyptus Lyocell is responsibly made
For our part, S&G’s Eucalyptus trees are grown on non-arable land in Canada, Sweden, South Africa, and India, and manufactured in India and Bahrain. Non-arable land is land that's not suitable for growing crops, so our trees aren't taking up valuable space. The farms we use are biodiverse and managed under the eye of an NGO called Canopy, which specifically works with companies to protect surrounding natural forests and environments.
Taking care of our employees
As for our manufacturing workers, they’re full-time employees who work 8-hour shifts. They get paid above-average wages, they receive free healthcare and education, and they get free housing close to work.
We visit the plants a few times a year (when there isn't a pandemic) to make sure everything is on the up-and-up and everyone is happy.
Our CEO on the right
So, what’s the responsible choice?
That’s the 64 billion dollar question, isn’t it? This stuff is dizzying. It requires a lot of research, soul-searching, and hair-pulling to decide what’s best for your family and the planet. At S&G, we try to make products that easily tick both boxes while maintaining 100% transparency around our entire process.
As we admitted in a previous blog, we’re totally biased (obviously), but we think Eucalyptus is the fabric of the future. It’s green, it’s clean, and it’s soft af.
Bamboo sounds great on paper but when you dig down it’s clear there’s a potential dark side to the production process. A dark side that may involve untold amounts of water, harsh chemicals, and devastating environmental consequences.
@A one thing I should mention is we’re including an additive to the polyester in our comforters that will make it 100% biodegradable. So keep an eye out for that.
We also don’t use any plastic in our packaging. Everything is 100% recyclable. We’re even looking to reduce the size of our boxes to create less waste and a smaller carbon footprint.
I guess what I’m saying is, we’re always trying to be better (bedder?).
@Chris If we take that tact and logic, people can say the same thing about Eucalyptus.
Why try to tear down each other? Both are great fabrics that need to be more commonplace, so there’s less cotton and synthetics.
I don’t have a problem with educating about the chemicals that some bamboo viscose use, but then the counter point of bamboo lyocell, and closed loop bamboo viscose that use less harmful chemicals, deserve mention.
Yes, the upcycled plastic bottles could have ended up in a land fill or the ocean. But given they were recycled, it makes more sense for them to be reused as plastic containers, rather than in fabrics that can release millions of micro fibers back into the ocean.
Do you see how that’s less green? Other green sheets/clothing companies have completed steps to even remove using plastics in their packaging. I’ll hope S&G takes those next steps.
@A While bamboo is sustainable, as we mentioned in the greenwashing post, it’s difficult to determine whether bamboo products are actually made from bamboo. That being said, we recommend bamboo lyocell over bamboo viscose.
As far as the polyester in our comforter, it’s made from upcycled plastic bottles that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill or, you know, the ocean.
@Samantha to show an unfair advantage. They can state the market share, but by that same token, not all eucalyptus producers are probably as green as S&G.
Bamboo lyocell and closed loop bamboo viscose are becoming more available, if you’re willing to search for it.
Bamboo is greener than eucalyptus – growing faster and requiring less land & water. Japanese studies have shown bamboo fibers to retain “bamboo-kun” that provides bamboo extra anti-bacterial properties that eucalyptus lacks.
I will applaud S&G for seemingly taking steps to be as green as possible, outside of the polyester in your comforters. And eucalyptus is greener than most fabric types, so much love to them!
the company that produces eucalyptus sheets with an article about the qualities of eucalyptus sheets over bamboo sheets. Might be true but hmmm