Bamboo, as a resource, is extremely green. It's wildly abundant, pest resistant and incredibly sustainable, with stalks growing about a foot a day with very little water. Bamboo fiber is surprisingly soft and silky, anti-bacterial, odor-free and moisture wicking. Sounds like the answer, right?

The only thing holding bamboo back from a full, consensus endorsement is the lack of an organic certification process. Currently, the production process isn't as transparent as watchdogs would like. And, there are reports of some farmers meeting demand by monocropping bamboo, which kills biodiversity, promotes pests and depletes the soil. A monitored, third-party certification process should work to clean up and discourage bad practice bamboo growing and production. But, even with lingering questions regarding growth and production, bamboo overall is still a far superior, smaller footprint alternative to pesticide dependant conventional cotton and synthetic fabrics. With proper monitoring for growth and production, bamboo will go from green to really green alternative. For the full story, read Mary Logan Barmeyer's informative article "How Green Are Bamboo Clothes?" at National Geographic's Green Guide site.

Eco-Tobi brands using bamboo:
Anja
Coven
Doie
Envirosax
Lara Miller
Opening Ceremony
Panda Snack
Red Flower
United Bamboo