BIO-BASED MATERIALS: A COMPELLING CHOICE
The UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal policies have encouraged a range of initiatives aimed at curbing CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and plastics derived from coal and petroleum. Consequently, a new wave of materials is being promoted globally, often highlighting sustainability features that aren’t consistently backed by scientific rigor.
Sustainability concerns are increasingly pivotal in the fashion and materials industries and CTC Ars Tinctoria Italia is dedicated to providing a valuable tool for assessing the inherent fossil and renewable carbon content of any material employed within these sectors.
At the APLF trade show held in Hong Kong last March, Gustavo Adrián Defeo, Scientific Director of CTC Ars Tinctoria, offered particularly insightful perspectives during his conference titled “The Bio-based Content of Leather and Other Materials Used in Fashion.” Specifically, Defeo underscored the critical need for objective, scientific instruments to evaluate the genuine sustainability of materials, highlighting how certain “sustainability” claims frequently lack robust scientifical support.
The shift towards a circular economy necessitates an innovative approach to material selection and management, one that prioritizes solutions that are simultaneously durable, repairable and sustainable. Crucially, this requires a thorough understanding of the absorption, reaction, release and degradation of chemical substances to minimize adverse effects on both human health and the environment. This is especially pertinent given that traditional material production has frequently centered solely on technical performance, often overlooking environmental repercussions such as the incorporation of potentially hazardous substances, known as SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern), and the emission of persistent and recalcitrant compounds. Moreover, it’s important to emphasize that bio-based materials offer a tangible solution for lessening environmental impact and fostering responsible practices throughout a product’s entire lifecycle.
Sourced from renewable resources, these materials offer a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based counterparts. Their capacity to break down into basic compounds like CO₂, H₂O and CH₄ prevents the build-up of persistent substances in the environment, thereby contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, their closed-loop lifecycle inherently ensures carbon neutrality, a vital factor in the fight against climate change.
These principles find application across diverse sectors, including the production of leather, alternative textiles and polymers, highlighting the versatility and efficacy of bio-based materials in contemporary industry.
Global plastic waste generation reaches a staggering 300 million tons annually, yet a mere 9% undergoes recycling. The remainder is incinerated, sent to landfill, or inadequately managed. Microplastics and nanoplastics originating from fossil-based materials pose significant environmental and health risks, including oxidative stress, inflammation and the ability to permeate biological barriers such as the skin and the blood-brain barrier, leading to neurotoxicity. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the fragmentation of plastics into minute particles contributes to the rise in greenhouse gases (GHGs), exacerbating global warming.
Effectively addressing these challenges hinges on selecting materials that are not only durable, repairable and sustainable but also guarantee a predictable and responsible environmental footprint. Recognizing the pivotal role of bio-based materials in fostering circularity is also crucial, as they substantially contribute to carbon emission reduction. To further curtail environmental impact, embracing sustainable end-of-life strategies for materials is essential. Among the most effective approaches are composting, which replenishes soil nutrients; biochar production, which enhances soil moisture retention while simultaneously sequestering carbon; energy recovery, which converts waste into valuable resources; and transformation into fertilizers or biostimulants, promoting more sustainable agricultural practices. Within the leather sector, the ambition is specifically to achieve “zero waste” by maximizing the repurposing of production offcuts and minimizing environmental impact. Embracing bio-based materials and implementing circular practices represent a decisive stride towards a more sustainable future. These materials inherently ensure carbon neutrality because they originate from natural biomass, effectively closing the carbon loop. Conversely, petrochemical plastics persist in the environment as macro-, micro- and nanoplastics, with severe ecological ramifications.
From a life cycle (cradle-to-grave) perspective, natural materials degrade into elementary compounds such as CO2, H2O and CH4, avoiding persistent chemical forms. Furthermore, starting from the use of biomass as a raw material, we can consider it to be based on recent atmospheric CO₂.
Assessment of Biobased Materials:
The assessment of the biobased content in materials is based on the EN 16640/EN 16785-1 method, which measures the Carbon content derived from biomass. The measurement of total organic carbon and nitrogen allows us to calculate the potential emissions of CO₂ and NO₂ in case of incineration.
Materials are classified based on the percentage of biobased carbon:
