Beth Rattner

However, a US-based scientific organisation is continuing work to find a natural way of getting waste polyester and nylon to quickly decompose. "One of the approaches that we are looking at is how you break down these complicated materials, and in a way that actually gets rid of the toxic effects of dyes and coating," says Beth Rattner, the executive director of the Montana-based Biomimicry Institute. "Using biological materials, whether that be enzymes or bacteria, to create new materials." She adds that the aim is to "take the existing mountains of clothing waste and turn them into something that's biocompatible".