Bamboo Fibre: The Future Material Now

Bamboo fiber can be a game-changer in the textile industry all over the world. It can create a massive difference in our fight to mitigate climate change as well.

Bamboo fiber, bamboo silk, or bamboo cotton are one and the same fabric, which is a very comfortable and versatile cloth. It is a naturally anti-bacterial, anti-UV character, bacteriostatic, and a good agent for deodorization. It retains its anti-bacterial quality even after numerous washings. Thus, there are no unpleasant odors. It has also been found that bamboo clothing can even kill odor-causing bacteria when it comes into contact with the wearers’ skin. Besides being a good absorbent, bamboo apparel is very soft, silky, shiny, and durable and dissipates body heat by 2%.

If we look carefully, we realize that bamboo silk is a reasonable alternative to natural silk. Bamboo Silk is a kind of viscose as it is made from the phloem part of the tree. Both Bamboo silk and viscose are made of cellulose.

Like cotton, bamboo fiber is naturally breathable and wicks moisture away from the skin. Unlike cotton, the bamboo fabric allows moisture to evaporate into the air quickly. Bamboo fabric is super light and silky soft too! Although not as delicate as traditional silk, bamboo silk fibers are also too delicate to support heavy foot traffic or furniture on their own. Bamboo silk needs a bit of blending with a durable, soft fiber like wool to help it retain its shape and resiliency.

Cotton has its issues and is a burden to the farmers. It requires heavy water usage, pesticides, and other chemicals in its usage, which adds to the farmers’ cost. The chemicals constantly decrease soil fertility, pushing it to the limits, and they would eventually become unproductive.

Bamboo can be planted and harvested more economically and ecologically. It doesn’t require pesticides and consumes comparatively less water. Moreover, when it is harvested, it grows from the same rhizomes again and again. Thus, it doesn’t need to be planted every time you harvest it.

It has great potential to replace cotton eventually and to begin with for use in hospitals. In fact, because of its anti-bacterial properties, it is being used in making sanitary towels, gauze, bandages, absorbents, pads, surgical apparel, surgical masks etc.

Bamboo Fabric: The Cost-Effective Option

Bamboo silk can be used for sarees and kurtas. The best results are obtained by blending it with cocoon silk, normally in a 90:10 ratio. Such blending is very effective economically as compared to that of high-quality silk fabric. Excellent bamboo silk sarees are even a shade better than mulberry silk sarees and can be produced at one-sixth of their price.

In India, it is being used to make carpets and bamboo rugs. Bamboo silk carpets are very cheap as compared to the cocoon silk carpets and rugs. At present, the bamboo silk is being imported from China, and it costs Rs.435/- to Rs. 550/- per kg, while the Indian cocoon silk of the desired quality costs Rs.3400/- to Rs.3800/- per kg. The Grade “A” Chinese silk goes up to Rs.4500/- per kg. Naturally, as bamboo silk’s raw material is far cheaper than cocoon silk prices, the bamboo silk carpet is naturally cheaper than the traditional cocoon silk carpet.

In India, companies like ‘Athlos’ and ‘Bamboo Tribe’ are making bamboo cloths (mixed with other rayon) in many varieties that are gaining popularity.

For example, they are selling T-shirts with 47% bamboo silk and the rest comprising cotton and some elastic material that makes very comfortable wear. Similarly, other companies are also selling bamboo fabrics like towels, innerwear, and other items like “Kurta” etc. in different compositions with bamboo silk and cotton, etc. Utilizing its anti-bacterial quality, “Pee Safe Sanitary Napkins” is gaining popularity.

Bamboo fiber is also being used in Bhadohi (a place near Varanasi) carpet weavers in a big way.

All of them are getting their bamboo rayon from China invariably.

India is a third-world country and largely dominated by the low and medium-middle class. This class looks for the cloth’s cost-effectiveness, and though their heart yearns for good clothing like silk and good quality cotton, their price is a deterrent. If some cloth, some fabric is available with all these qualities, then that fabric is bound to grow in demand. Bamboo silk is one such fabric. So, it is expected that with proper marketing, bamboo textiles will be able to create its niche in the textile and cocoon market very soon.

We know that 1 MT is equal to 1000 kg. So 1 MT of bamboo means 1000 kg of bamboo.

Even dry bamboo contains around 20% moisture and must be removed as far as possible before processing, so we can deduct 20% of the moisture weight from the bamboo weight.

So 1 MT of bamboo gives effectively 800 kg of very dry bamboo.

This is chemically treated to make bamboo pulp, and 50% of the stock is converted into bamboo pulp. This means that out of 800 kg. of bamboo, we can get 400 kg. of bamboo pulp.

Out of this, 75% is converted into bamboo silk.

So 400 kg of Bamboo pulp will give 300 kg of bamboo rayon or bamboo silk.

To calculate the cost of production, we need to fix the base price of 1 MT of bamboo that is to be procured.

Numaligarh Bio-Refinery Assam, in its Project Report, submitted to the Ministry of Environment & Forests, states that it is buying Bamboo @ Rs. 3741/—per MT upfront, which effectively costs them Rs.5020/—per MT after adjusting for moisture.

So we fixed the base price higher at the payment of Rs.5020/- per MT upfront.

Now, adding 20% as the moisture cost, the effective price of 1 MT of bamboo would be Rs. 5020 + 1004 = Rs. 6024/—per MT.

Now from 1 MT, we are getting 240 kg of bamboo pulp. So the cost of 240 kg of Bamboo pulp is 20% operating cost and 5% Chemical cost, as 99% of chemicals are recovered for reuse. That means 25% operational costs.

So, the cost of 240 kg of Bamboo rayon would be Rs. 5020/- + 25% of Rs.5020 = Rs. 5020 + 1255 = Rs. 6275/—per MT.

If we fix even lower efficiency and say that from 1 MT, only 200 kg of Bamboo Rayon/Silk is obtained, then the cost of production of 200 kg. of Bamboo Silk is Rs. 6275/-.

So, the cost of producing Bamboo silk per kg is 6275 / 200 = Rs. 31.38, or approximately Rs.32/—per kg.

Now, the market price of bamboo silk imported from China ranges between Rs. 425/—and Rs. 435/—per kg.

So, to be cost-effective, one can target a wholesale price of Rs. 275/- to Rs.300/- per kg. and take the lower margin of Rs.275/- per kg. we can calculate per kg profit as Rs. 275- Rs.32/- = Rs.242/- per kg.

So per MT profit as 200 kg. rayon is obtained from it = 200 x 242 = Rs.48400/-

Thus even a decentralized, very small plant with 1000 MT of bamboo processing would generate an income of Rs. 4840000/- p.a., which is an excellent income.

Bamboo fiber: Sports industry and Reducing Synthetic Consumption

I believe the sports industry can be a major force in mitigating climate change. Millions of tons of synthetic clothes are produced every year and are used by millions across the globe. It’s been studied that every time these synthetic materials are washed, microplastics get released into the water, which eventually finds a way into our oceans and into the bodies of marine life. Various research has come up with evidence of finding micro-plastics in the bodies of marine life.

Now, microplastics have even been found on Mt. Everest. Scientists say this is due to the materials used and left by the climbers over the years.

I believe if more organic and plant-based fiber is used in the sports industry and, subsequently, in the entire textile industry, then we will be able to bring down the usage of synthetic materials. I’m not saying the whole synthetic material will be replaced. Bamboo fiber or other such fibers won’t have the capacity to replace synthetic fibers in absolute numbers so soon. But replacing a good percentage will be a wise move.

As discussed above, using fibers such as bamboo fiber has advantages. I’ve personally used them while working out and can vouch for them. They feel better than synthetic fibers.

Closed-loop manufacturing technology is there now to extract bamboo fibers. Therefore, it will not harm the environment during the extraction process.

Slowly, various companies are foraying into the bamboo fabric. Currently, all the fiber comes from China. They are meeting the world's demands at the moment, but with the growing demand for bamboo silk, there is an opportunity for other countries, too. India must come up with its own bamboo fibers.

European countries should start looking to rehabilitate their wastelands and vacant farmlands by planting bamboo. Various species can grow in wastelands. This will have two-pronged benefits. The wastelands will be rehabilitated to achieve “Bonn Targets” and create a bamboo stock for bamboo fibers.

India should take up the mantle and foray aggressively in this industry.

India should begin utilizing its abundant stock of bamboo now.

India imported around 1000-1200 MT of bamboo fiber from China in 2020, spending USD 3.6 million. Interestingly, Bamboo fiber demand is increasing every year in India. In 2016, the imports of bamboo fiber were around 600 MT, which became 900 MT in 2019.

Bamboo fiber is in demand for its natural antibacterial properties, and due to this quality, it is being used in baby care apparel and other healthcare fabric products. Sportswear, exercise, and yoga wear also use bamboo fiber. It is 40% more absorbent than cotton and very light and stretchable.

The apparel uses bamboo fiber from 35% to 75%, depending upon the requirements.

Bamboo silk has a significant market in India. The market is so big that they can absorb any quantity of bamboo fabric. As people realize the efficacy of bamboo, cotton growers will begin growing bamboo for fiber side by side, and that will give them the desired financial security.

So, it is high time that we begin manufacturing this great commodity.