Synthetic materials are manufactured from either natural polymers (e.g. viscose, lyocell, acetate) or synthetic polymers (e.g. polyester, nylon, acrylic). The manufacturing processes rely on heavy use of chemicals, high energy use and depletion of non-renewable resources. Burning of fossil fuels to power chemical plants also generates high volumes of CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, just as in the case of natural materials, the impacts of each synthetic material vary in relation to where and how it is manufactured. For example, the production of rayon (viscose, modal and lyocell) uses wood pulp as a raw material and so contributes to alarming rates of deforestation, unless the wood is grown and extracted under a responsible forestry program such as Canopy. Synthetic materials are also increasingly associated with microfiber pollution and the release of microplastics, which endanger marine wildlife and human health.(1-6)
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
