When marine biologist, Tierney Thys, found that her research sites were being contaminated by microplastic she decided to do something about it.
The result is “Around the World in 80 Fabrics“, a non-profit initiative that started out with a quilt. The quilt was created with a group of Californian middle-schoolers who responded to a National Geographic challenge, Tackling Microplastics, by using fabrics made without petroleum products. Now the project has a book coming out soon, a collection of quilts and fabrics, collaborations and profiles of makers around the world who use natural materials in their work. It also has a section where readers can explore stories.
While the research into the effect of microplastics in the human body is now more doubtful, the fact that plastic remains in the environment for decades means that it is important to find alternatives for the clothing and fashion industry. What better than fibres like these that have clothed people for millennia?