Bio-inspired textiles promote sustainable fashion

The United Nations Environmental Programme found that not only is the dyeing process for fabrics the second largest source of water pollution, but that the fashion industry alone is producing 20% of the world's wastewater.

Nanocellulose is a naturally occurring substance extracted from cellulose—the main substance of a plant's cell walls. It's divided into two types: nanocrystals and nanofibrils, both of which are biodegradable and non-toxic. The former is also stronger than steel.

Lavoine and her collaborators have developed a process that allows them to use nanocellulose to produce clothing items with iridescent features resembling the rainbow-hued shimmer seen on fish scales, bird feathers and insect bodies.