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Bamboo is the fastest growing wooden plant in the world; it grows in many different countries and climates. Its quick growth (up to 3-4 feet a day) and its resistance to bugs and sickness make it an ideal eco crop. However, there is a lot of debate on whether the processing of the bamboo plant into fabric is truly sustainable. Bamboo fabric is made of 100% bamboo pulp fiber. The fabric is naturally antibacterial and eco-friendly. It breathes easier, is cooler than cotton in warm weather and has been said to feel like a cross between cashmere and silk.
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Banana trees were widely used for making fabrics before cotton was affordable and readily available. Now “jusi” banana fabric is made in only a handful of places in Southeast Asia. The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. The tree stalks and leaves are removed and processed into a pliable fibre. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layer's fibers are generally used for tablecloths while the third layer makes the finest, silkiest fabric, suitable for kimonos and saris. Many Nepalese rugs are made from bleached and dried fibers of the banana plant that are hand-knotted into silk-like rugs.
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Glossary
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