The promotion of biodegradation and biodegradability is being used to assuage consumer guilt associated with over-production and the ‘buy-use-dump model’ for both chemicals and clothing.
There are three things that are clear about drawing conclusions and making decisions in the world of eco-textiles:
- It can be complex with numerous inter-related issues and parameters.
- No-one knows everything – and it is essential to open your mind, surround yourself by experts and be objective in the face of emerging, credible evidence.
- There are often trade-offs where an improvement in one parameter results in the deterioration of another.
In the line of my work, I’m often faced with a multifaceted, nuanced situation with only a few pieces of the jigsaw puzzle available. And I’m often trying to have objective, holistic conversations in a world dominated by social media that is seemingly obsessed with binary ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ and no shortage of vested interests and cherry picked, single issues.
