True, there are no doubt third world countries that are using products from rainforests due to the extremely destitute (and often corrupt) nature of their country's economy, but come on people, bamboo behaves like a very aggressive weed in any environment that can support it.

It grows maniacally crazy in the Southeastern U.S. and if one plants it just as decoration, very serious steps must be taken to ensure it does not overtake the property upon which it is planted. There is no possibility of the extinction of bamboo.

This is an awesome "green" product at virtually all levels.

When I first use bamboo fiber towels, I give them to my families as a gift.

-- questioner

So they concocted a marketing campaign designed to "hide" its association with rayon.

The irony is the fabric is honestly a much friendlier fabric than say cotton.

It doesn't require an ocean of pesticides, nor is it grown in dry areas requiring lakes of irrigation. That alone justifies the claim of being more environmentally friendly.

The idiot marketers' mistaken attempts have brought out the cynical, the foolish and the fostered the paranoia in these posts.

Sodium hydroxide is a safe chemical. Most people know of it by its other name, "lye," as in lye soap.

It is definitely environmentally friendly. It's sodium (1/2 of salt) and hydrogen and oxygen (the hydroxide part).

Carbon disulfide is similar. It's dangerous if you want to swim in it perhaps, but otherwise it's carbon and sulfur - very common elements that are everywhere, and not dangerous in normal use.

Anything used improperly or in gross excess can be deadly. Water can kill you if you drink too much at one time!

Rayon has been around for ages, but their manufacturing process using bamboo is a new twist that apparently makes the production a lot cheaper.

As for land being taken to grow more bamboo, it's pretty naive to think such land would be left alone otherwise. If history is a guide, it'd be taken over to do seriously environmentally unfriendly crops - like cotton or any water hungry, pesticide dependent crop - neither of which bamboo is!

People are right to be suspicious, but don't blame bamboo rayon, blame the idiot marketers who, in their quest for the big bucks, tried to market Bamboo fiber as a "new" product capable of commanding a huge premium over its sister fabric rayon.

Ironically, the truth would have served the fabric many times better and probably succeeded in gaining acceptance quicker and faster.

What they would have lost in margin they would have gained in market share.

Yet another lesson on the high price of greed both to society and stupid businessmen who treat customers as idiots.

I've heard bamboo fabric shrinks if you put it in a hot wash so I don't want to risk it. No need anyway, if they come out clean on cold.

Bought my set last Christmas, going to save up for next Christmas for the bamboo dressing gown as well.

Disadvantage of bamboo fabric is that since they are so much softer, the users have to follow the caring instruction; or else, the fabric will shrink. Because bamboo is a natural fiber, bleaching should really be avoided. The rate any fabric breaks down is really determined by the way it's laundered rather than fabric type.