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  • My understanding is that it is relatively simple to use organic alternatives to petrochemical source for synthetics, it's just the supply & processing isn't as well established. Crude oil and coal is made from organic matter - animals and plants - it's just that pressure & heat is applied for millions of years.

    I frequently see Castor bean as the source for 'bio-nylon'; it's a compelling story, because the plant can be grown in areas unsuitable for other crops, and uses very little water.

    Additionally, materials are being created using waste from seafood industry, with mollusc and crustacean shells as raw material for polymer synthetics (not which fibre they create).

    I don't know enough about this, but figure the interesting thing would be carbon sequestering, where a fabric captures atmospheric carbon from a rapidly growing plant, in quantities more than used to create the fabric ....is this even possible? Open to criticism - why not just let the plant grow/decompose, surely this is more efficient carbon capture? The plastics still contribute microfibres that take 200 years to break down?

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