Synthetic Pashmina vs Bamboo Shawl

$12.99 at Target.com

On sale for $49 at Nimli.com

100% viscose, which is created from a combination of natural and man-made components and treated by chemicals like sodium hydroxide. As a fiber, viscose rayon is silky in appearance and feel, and has similar breathability to cotton fabric.

100% bamboo, one of the most sustainable plants on earth (botanically speaking, bamboo is considered a grass not a tree). It tends to grow rapidly (up to 12" a day) in little water and with few, if any, pesticides. It also contains an element called "bamboo kun," a natural antibiotic that protects the wearer from germs as well as body odor. The fabric is silky soft and naturally wicks away light perspiration.

The oldest man-made material, viscose rayon is made from wood pulp, a naturally occurring, cellulose-based raw material, and manufactured with chemicals like sulfuric acid. As for other synthetic materials commonly found in shawls—like nylon and polyester—chemicals like formaldehyde play a role in the manufacturing process. Nylon and polyester are both petroleum-based fabrics and therefore come from less sustainable raw materials than bamboo.

Processing bamboo into fiber used for clothing typically requires bamboo leaves to be cooked in a variety of chemicals. Depending on the specifics of each manufacturer’s process, this can have an adverse environmental impact. This process is often similar to the process for producing rayon so bamboo fiber isn't without its fault but the fact remains that, as a raw material, bamboo is highly sustainable.

The process of manufacturing synthetic fabric leaves chemicals behind in the weave of the fibers. These traces of chemicals can provoke chemical sensitivity in the wearer who may experience allergic reactions or even vascular problems as a result of being in such close proximity to these chemicals. One of the largest long-term effects of manufacturing synthetic materials is that pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and heavy metals get released into the atmosphere.

There are a variety of ways to produce bamboo fiber for clothing. Some are more eco-responsible than others. It’s clear that despite some potential adverse effects of bamboo fiber production on the environment, the replenishable nature of bamboo gives it the environmental edge compared to rayon based clothing. Other factors such as country of production and how the end product actually gets to you are also key factors to weigh in a full environmental analysis but that information is not readily available when you’re in the aisles or even just browsing online. The increasing use of eco-friendly claims for bamboo have brought the production of bamboo fiber under increasing scrutiny. In turn, producers are now seeking more responsible ways to produce the fiber and extend the sustainability of bamboo as a plant to bamboo as clothing.