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In the synthetic age, profitability and sustainability have long butted heads. Biomaterials have been touted as the saving grace for green manufacturing for years, but only now are the building blocks coming into place for 2022.
It goes without saying that the prospect of forming low-carbon economies is nigh-on impossible if the commercial giants feeding them fail to adapt.
As it stands today, 62% of all fibres produced (of which polyester is most widely used) are synthetic.
This term encompasses man-made materials with slim-to-no chance of biodegrading – most of which are destined to end up in our oceans and landfills for as long as they’re commercially viable. Great.
Now for some positives. A growing feeling of social responsibility, combined with international pressure to meet climate targets soon, means that both commercial giants and governments are under immense pressure to clean up their acts.
To date, offsetting has been the most common tactic for both, but people are wise to the fact that 1): it isn’t quite working, and 2): there’s no real future in it. Besides, getting tarred with the brush of ‘greenwasher’ in the social media age all but signifies PR hell.
So, are there any feasible solutions to line the pockets of corporations whilst keeping us on track with our environmental goals?
According to market projections, and industry leaders across fashion, design, and architecture, biomaterials could be the answer to restoring an elusive balance between profitability and sustainability.
Referring to any material derived from plants and other living organisms, biomaterials have become more widely available as an offering over the last decade, but only now are they really exploding onto the mainstream.
Unlike the environmental menace of synthetics, not only are most of these materials developed using renewable resources, they’re also biodegradable, easy to repurpose, and (in some instances) actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. Anything with algae and fungi will actively store it within their natural cell structures. Cool, right?
