FTC Fines Four Retailers For Labeling Textiles As 'Bamboo'

FTC Fines Four Retailers For Labeling Textiles As 'Bamboo'

Four famous retailers who have been marketing rayon textile as bamboo and have misled their consumers about the products being an environmentally friendly alternative, will have to pay civil penalties totaling US$ 1.3 million. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the central district court has ordered Bed Bath & Beyond to pay US$ 500,000; Nordstrom US$ 360,000; J.C. Penney US$ 290,000 and Backcountry.com US$ 150,000

“It’s misleading to call bamboo that has been chemically processed into rayon simply ‘bamboo,’” Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a news release. “With consumers in the midst of their holiday shopping, it’s important for them to know that textiles marketed as environmentally friendly alternatives may not be as ‘green’ as they were led to believe.”

FTC had also sent a warning letter in 2010 to the companies regarding the mislabeling of rayon as bamboo but the companies ignored the letter. The FTC has also uploaded an online article - How to avoid Bamboozling your Customers, and to recommend the companies about how to sell bamboo-based textiles.

Although bamboo grows fast and does not need much for pesticides, the article states, most "bamboo" textile products are rayon. Rayon typically is made using environmentally toxic chemicals in a process that emits hazardous pollutants into the air.