Bamboo and Rayon Are Not The Same Thing (says the FTC)

In case you had any confusion as to which was which, the government has stepped in to tell us the difference. (Are you listening Rayon Ben?)

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/ftc-to-retailers-bamboo-and-rayon-are-not-the-same-thing.html

FTC Warns 78 Retailers, Including Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart, to Stop Labeling and Advertising Rayon Textile Products as "Bamboo"

Seventy-eight companies nationwide have received Federal Trade Commission letters warning that they may be breaking the law by selling clothing and other textile products that are labeled and advertised as “bamboo,” but actually are made of manufactured rayon fiber. The letters, which the agency’s staff sent last week, make the retailers aware of the FTC’s concerns about possible mislabeling of rayon products as “bamboo,” so the companies can take corrective steps to avoid Commission action.

“We need to make sure companies use proper labeling and advertising in their efforts to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers,” said David C. Vladeck, Director of the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Rayon is rayon, even if bamboo has been used somewhere along the line in the manufacturing process.”

The FTC sued several companies last year for allegedly selling products labeled or advertised as “bamboo” that in reality were made of rayon. Rayon is a man-made fiber created from the cellulose found in plants and trees and processed with harsh chemicals that release hazardous air pollution. Any plant or tree – including bamboo – could be used as the cellulose source, but the fiber that is created is rayon.

“While we have seen action by some retailers to correct mislabeled clothing and textile products, our hope is that these warning letters will serve as a wake-up call to all companies, regardless of their size,” Vladeck said.

The FTC staff letter outlines the requirements for proper labeling and advertising of textile products derived from bamboo. The letter states, “Rayon, even if manufactured using cellulose from bamboo, must be described using an appropriate term recognized under the FTC’s Textile Rules. . . . Failing to properly label and advertise textiles misleads consumers and runs afoul of both the Textile Rules and the FTC Act.”

In the letter, the FTC tells the companies they should review the labeling and advertising for the textile products they are selling and remove or correct any misleading bamboo references.

Along with the warning letters, the agency sent each company a synopsis of FTC decisions finding that the failure to use proper fiber names in textile labeling and advertising was deceptive and violated the FTC Act. Under the Act, the FTC can seek civil penalties of up to $16,000 per violation against any company that receives this information but fails to correct its advertising and labeling.

A complete list of the companies sent warning letters can be found on the FTC’s Web site and as a link to this press release. They include small and large retailers, with both online and brick-and-mortar stores, and firms selling textile products labeled or advertised as “bamboo” that may be made of rayon. The more commonly known retailers include:

Amazon.com, Barney’s New York, Bed Bath & Beyond, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Bloomingdale’s, Costco Wholesale, Garnet Hill, Gold Toe, Hanes, Isotoner, JC Penney, Jockey,
Kmart, Kohl’s, Land’s End, Macy’s, Maidenform, Nordstrom, Overstock.com, QVC, REI, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, Shop NBC, Spiegel, Sports Authority, Target, The Gap, The Great Indoors, Tommy Bahama, Toys R’ Us, Wal-Mart, and Zappos.com.

Recent Enforcement Actions. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of four FTC enforcement actions brought against companies selling rayon products that were misleadingly labeled and advertised. According to the Commission’s complaints, filed in August 2009, the companies falsely claimed that their rayon clothing and other textile products were “bamboo fiber,” marketing them using names such as “ecoKashmere,” “Pure Bamboo,” “Bamboo Comfort,” and “BambooBaby.” The complaints also challenged a number of other deceptive “green” claims, including that the products retained the bamboo plant’s antimicrobial properties, were made using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and are biodegradable.

Very interesting, thanks Jason!

Wow! If I were to boycott the stores that sell this product I would have to go around naked! It looks like EVERYone is doing it.

Thanks Jason!
Being in the tee industry,
we do R&D trips up to LA and Melrose and Santa Monica
and have been noticing for the past year or two
a LOT more supposedly 100% bamboo tees or at least blended with it...
They are incredibly soft and comfortable...
almost too much...
They definitely had a buttery feel,ALMOST like a poly-blend...
Now i understand....

This reminds me of the RGBH /Hormone fed cows labelling situation a few years back
where the Food Giants were trying to make range-free-non bovine growth Hormone and Organic foods
NOT able to label themselves as such....

look up aspartame (in most sugar-free products)
the FDA labelled it a "food additive"
instead of a drug
(it was originally an arthritis drug,until someone spilled it /tasted it/and then had Donald Rumsfeld pass it thru while he was in charge of Searle)
Google "aspartame" side effects and you will be SHOCKED!
(my favorite is "GRAND MAL SEIZURE"just like the sound of that one!)

it's all about money/our laziness in researching what we eat and wear and use
consumer perceptions-branding/and a COMPLETE disregard for our safety by the elite!

Screw boycotting
Break out the pitchforks and torches people...

Yes. My bamboo leisure suit feels completely different than the rayon one.

Yeah, I'm not gonna read that aspertame thing 'cause my doc already told me that, as a diabetic, that crap is especially bad and yet if your doc doesn't give you the 411 on this you may never know! I likes me diet sodies thow, and I know I'm just trading one chem for another, but Coke makes a diet brand with Splenda which doesn't have aspertame, and I'm already used to the weird taste of Splenda-laden products, so I do have one of those a day (usually). Hell, I smoke too, so if one don't get me ta udda will!

Hope they get this fake bamboo, fake everything thing taken care of soon (roflmyao)!