Addressing the Sustainability of Bamboo Fabric

Q: Is bamboo better than cotton for the planet?

Yes. It shoots up without re-planting, thrives on rainwater, and needs no pesticides. It can match cotton yields per hectare while using only a fraction of the water and arable land.

Q: How is Tanboocel bamboo made?

Its made by a closed loop process that continuously recycles its water and solvent instead of flushing them downstream.

Bamboo gets praised as a miracle fibre and criticised as a token fabric for green-washing, often in the same breath.

The nuance for sustainability of bamboo fabric lies in how the yarn is made. At Athlos we use Tanboocel® bamboo , spun through a patented close-loop system that continuously recycles its water and solvent instead of flushing them downstream. The resulting fibre is tested to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, so it’s proven free from harmful substances.

Now, let’s focus on the crop. The crop itself pulls its weight too. Bamboo is closer to a weed than a plantation. It shoots up without re-planting, thrives on rainwater, and needs no pesticides. It can match cotton yields per hectare while using only a fraction of the water and arable land.

Perfect? No textile is. No fabric in the apparel industry is. We all will end up taxing the earth. Yet pairing a low-impact crop with a circular manufacturing loop and long-life design gives us a fabric that genuinely moves the sustainability dial without sacrificing performance. Tanboocel® bamboo is naturally breathable, luxuriously soft, and odour-resistant—built for high-sweat, high-repeat wear.

If you ask us, if done right, bamboo is an excellent sustainable fabric to keep you and the planet moving.