Future Predictions on Bamboo and Bamboozling Customers
February of this year marked a significant landmark in the natural products market, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) decided to crack down and companies, big and small, who claimed to sell bamboo products. What they found was discouraging. Almost every large retailer and many small ones as well who sold ‘bamboo’ products were actually selling rayon…similar to polyester. So why did bamboo get so big? How did these companies get away with selling something cheap and synthetic? And, Where is the bamboo, aka cash cow of the green market, going?
The Popularity of Bamboo
Bamboo is considered a miracle worker. With anti-microbial properties that are supposed to help keep things clean many people flocked to it as the next big thing since cotton. It is also remarkable soft, and most times cheap. People consider it a ‘renewable’ fabric because bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants that we harvest.
Bamboozled Rayon
So how did companies substitute the glorified bamboo for rayon? They don’t know! Or so they claim. The FTC sued and issued warnings to a large number of companies, the majority of which claim innocence. But as we examined earlier, is it really fair for companies to sell us something they know nothing about? How safe can the rest of their products and product claims really be? Turns out many of the companies, through diluted supply chains across the World lost the bamboo memo. Since rayon is an even cheaper alternative and the FTC rarely if ever acts in this way toward booming new market products, many either claim innocence or decided to play the waiting game. Since such a large number of companies were caught not selling bamboo, even companies whose name started with ‘Bamboo’ many hid behind the lawsuit as “one of many’ and none have apologized publicly for their false advertising (and selling) of the next eco-wonder product. (You can find a list and more information about the lawsuit in Patrick’s article)
Bamboo’s not so Renewable Future
Since the majority of bamboo comes from Southeast Asia, the regulatory bodies and systems are significantly different than in North America and Europe. Bamboo grown non-organically is harvested in areas that used to be forest (read: slash and burn is taking up speed in Southeast Asia) as a monoculture. Question: How sustainable can a system such as this be? Answer: It won’t last long, and not long without severe internal Country conflicts. In countries where illegal wildlife trading still runs rampant, governments tend to crumble, and many people have been left in bizarre and unnatural living conditions due to wars and conflicts how certain can we be about the stability of the market? How about the safety, ethics, and social implications of this unregulated supply chain?
My prediction is that bamboo is going to have to get a little safer, a little more organic, and a lot more ‘whole systems’ renewable before it is truly classified as a green product in the near future. When journalists start investigating, and the regulatory bodies in developed nations catch up to the extreme harvesting methods in developing nations, who will invest in (and trust) this product?
Organic cotton has been through the ringer. We have done extensive research on the most eco-friendly ways to grow, harvest, and transport cotton. Studies comparing organic cotton to conventional cotton are plentiful, and just how to go about growing cotton organically are available with the click of a google search. Bamboo on the other hand is still a mystery. There are pro-active companies out there that are addressing the organic issue, the fair sourcing and trade issue, and other mix-ups, so this isn’t a one size fits all…but as far as the big wigs in business goes, unfortunately you will find them on the FTC warning list.
So check out the list of companies written up by the FTC, see if they have been proactive in solving this supply chain issue, and then decide for yourself if the invest in bamboo is worth it. It may take some time for the information train to catch up on this one, but if you follow Southeast Asia’s development, regulatory bodies in the natural markets industries, or consumer trends…you just may have an idea of your own on how this one will play out.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
Swim Happy: Public Pool Risks & Renovations
Alright, who peed in the pool? Whoever it was has now threatened our DNA…
Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday! New research shows that Public Pools that are cleaned with brominating agents should be tossed. Their best recommendation is to replace these agents with a balance of UV treatment and chlorine, but not chlorine alone. Why the big fuss? The findings of this study, published in the Environment Science & Technology journal and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, suggest that public pools are a lot more dangerous than one may think. They found disinfected pool samples “had more genomic DNA damage than the source tap water”. So for swimmers, or frequent public pool goers you may want to take caution when selecting which pool to take a dive into.
The Risks
This specific gene mutation suggests that long-term exposure to these disinfectant byproducts can do the following:
- mutate genes
- induce birth defects
- accelerate the aging process
- cause respiratory ailments
- risk of inducing cancer
Since this research is new, additional research on the effect on humans will most likely be conducted to further explore the human health risks. But one thing is for sure, you better check your personal, public, or University pool’s disinfectant strategy before adding swimming to your workout regime. Now keep in mind pool “swimmership” is at 339 million in the U.S. alone, warranting some sort of disinfectant standards (although read on to see what creative and eco-friendly solution can help solve this).
The Solutions
Some steps for pool-goers:
- First things first. Don’t pee in the pool. These agents become more potent when mixed with organic matter such as urine. Stay out of the “warm” spots…these can’t be good regardless of the toxicity.
- Take a shower before entering the pool because it reduces the amount of organic matter on your body.
- If you are the pool caretaker, remove any organic matter including leaves and organic ‘waste’ from your pool if you are using brominating agents like chlorine as a disinfectant.
- Check to see if there is a pool in your area that is cleaned by….ALGAE! Yes, algae. This is a growing phenomenon and we learn about the increase in hazards related to toxic chemical compounds. Our local pool’s master re-model included a switch to algae. First, your skin feels better afterwards (no toxic and harsh chemicals sitting on top hoping to be washed off and so they enter our water table…). Second, when you swim and get water in your eyes, it isn’t so bad after all. Lastly, you are reducing the amounts of chemicals your body is exposed to and since each persons body and genes are different, this is a good thing.
So don’t shy away from the pool, find one with algae or other creative cleaning agents that can keep the water clean, you healthy, and our ecosystem in better shape.
Photo Credit: First Milkman
