Snickers Workwear grows bamboo for use in revolutionary clothing

Snickers Workwear Ireland has begun growing bamboo on Irish farms for use in its innovative work clothing range, manufactured using the plant’s nano-carbons.

The local Irish arm of the Swedish clothing company, Snickers has purchased several fields close to its headquarters in Ballymount, Co Dublin, for planting with the Asian bamboo crop.

Snicker’s Workwear Ireland managing director David Macken said: “People seem bamboozled by our move into eco-farming, but it is to become just another part of our extensive research and development process.

“Bamboo nano-fabrics are the materials of the future so we need to ensure we have our own plentiful supply. Planting will start soon and any surplus bamboo will be given to Dublin Zoo for their red pandas Beijing and Bamboo. We soon hope to have our very own Snickers’ pandas.”

Global warming has meant that Ireland now has climate that is perfect for growing bamboo. Demand for bamboo has boomed in recent years mostly due to its use in cutting edge nano-technology which is used to make bamboo carbon, a very strong lightweight material, that has now started to feature in practical uses such as workwear.

Snickers’ directors expect their move to kick-start this growth industry, which was traditionally the staple crop of Asian countries that produced 1970s-style furniture.

Snickers’ announcement coincides with the launch of the company’s range of summer wear that features a high-tech Active Vaporise System that is manufactured using nano-technology where bamboo-carbon is ground down to a nano-size of one millionth of a millimetre.

Snickers state that the nano-carbon is then blended with polyester to form a strong and breathable fabric for their hot weather garments, which transport moisture away from wearer, whilst providing UV and anti-odour protection.

Nano-carbons are currently being researched as materials for use in outer space, such as construction of NASA’s Mars Phoenix spacecraft and also for the proposed Space Elevator.

Snickers Workwear’s range of clothing and accessories are available at over 200 stores across Ireland.