Fabric making companies are getting more involved in
creating clothes with sustainable development in mind.
This means that the clothes should ___1___
what people need while at the same time protecting
natural resources and preserving biodiversity.
Traditionally, making clothes and shoes involves harsh
chemicals and the use of lots of energy. Some fabrics,
such as cotton, leather, and wool, begin as plant or
animal parts. But that does not mean they are ___2___
on the environment. Cotton plants are often smothered
with noxious chemicals to keep away bugs and weeds.
Other fabrics are born in laboratories, where scientists
create molecules called polymers and make synthetic
materials such as polyester.
The problem from an environmental ___3___
is that most synthetic fibers are made from petroleum,
which must be extracted from the ground. Accessing,
transporting, and processing petroleum is pricey, and
the supply is limited. Still, petroleum-based materials
appear in thousands of clothing products. To overcome
this ___4___ on
petroleum, some companies have experimented with
creating polymers from substances such as corn sugar,
then ___5___ the
resulting threads into fabrics. Other companies have
developed products from recycled materials. |