The bamboo used in textiles has to be heavily manipulated to go from stem to store. To create fabric, it's chopped up and dissolved in toxic solvents—the same process that recycles wood scraps into viscose or rayon. Indeed, bamboo fabric technically is rayon.

The Federal Trade Commission sued four small bamboo-clothing manufacturers in August, citing them for false labeling, among other concerns, under the 1958 Textile Fiber Products Identification Act. The companies had used language such as "natural," "biodegradable," and "antimicrobial." But bamboo fabric isn't natural, the FTC said, since it's a textile developed by chemists. The agency also said the biodegradable and antimicrobial qualities of the plant don't survive the manufacturing process.

In a bulletin titled "Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo Fabrics?" the FTC said that bamboo fabrics "are made using toxic chemicals in a process that releases pollutants into the air."

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But some wearers have other gripes about bamboo. Mr. Giardina, the FIT professor, says he found that bamboo fabric is unstable and likely to stretch out of shape in damp weather. Uniform Knitters Ltd., a Hong Kong apparel manufacturer, abandoned bamboo fabrics because they tend to shrink and have odd variances in color, according to a company spokeswoman.

Williams said he will work hard to get the word out about the importance of utilizing the sustainable fabric and is working with his partner, Tyson Toussant, to develop textiles.

"We were just looking at this new canvas that is amazing," he said. "Basically, the denim is still denim, the cotton is still cotton. The process to make the Bionic Yarn makes it extremely durable and gives it a really luxurious feel. When Nigo's team — my partners at BBC/Ice Cream - felt the Bionic Yarn cotton, they couldn't believe how smooth it feels." Nigo also owns the trendy Japanese brand A Bathing Ape.

According to company research, more than 60 million plastic bottles go from the consumer to landfills and incinerators each day. Bionic Yarn's mission is to preserve and protect the environment by creating these high-performance recycled fabrics to be used to create everyday items. The average piece of luggage made of Bionic Yarn contains 18 (1 liter) recycled plastic water bottles and the average pair of jeans made of the fabric contains seven recycled plastic beverage bottles.

"Our goal is to be the go-to fabric supplier," Williams said. "We want to provide quality fabrics that happen to also be sustainable. We want to do everything from high-end luggage, to high-end denim, to university caps and gowns to Parks Department uniforms. It's a plus that the fabric brings environmentalism to a whole new level."