What it means. Bamboozle means to deceive, dupe, or hoodwink. But this green-era alt spelling of the term—bamboo-zle—adds a new meaning, specifically covering dubious claims made by manufacturers of bamboo clothing and textiles. Bamboo-zle is akin to greenwashing, another of our Buzzwords.
Why the buzz? The Federal Trade Commission this week charged four clothing and textile manufacturers with making false product claims about bamboo-based products. In its August 11 press release, the FTC said the "bamboo-based textiles, actually made of rayon, are not antimicrobial, made in an environmentally friendly manner, or biodegradable." Sami Designs, LLC, Jonaeno, CSE, Inc.(d.b.a. Mad Mod), and Pure Bamboo, LLC have settled the FTC's complaints, but litigation continues against The M Group, Inc. (d.b.a. Bamboosa)."When companies sell products woven from man-made fibers, such as rayon, it is important that they accurately label and advertise those products—both with respect to the fibers they use and to the qualities those fibers possess," said David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in the release.
While rayon, an artificial fiber, can be created from the cellulose found in plants and trees, including bamboo, it's processed using a harsh chemical that releases air pollutants. In our past tests of towels, cotton and bamboo blends were softer after washing than all-cotton towels, though they were also more expensive.
Another popular bamboo product, flooring, is a bit more environmentally friendly than wood, since bamboo, a fast-growing grass can be harvested in as little as four years. (That's a bamboo forest shown.) In our latest report on nearly 50 flooring products (full story and ratings available to subscribers), two bamboo products outperformed other wood alternatives.—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook
Essential information: If you're planning to remodel your kitchen with new flooring, cabinets, or appliances, check out our recently updated Kitchen-Planning Guide.
Very informative article. The company I work for sells area rugs online and some of the products are made from rayon or mixture of wool and rayon. Now, since rayon is not biodegradable as it was mentioned in this article, what would be the best way to dispose these kind of rugs once they reach end of their lives? Thanks!
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