ABSTRACT
Pastics, in particular, became a default choice of material for a huge range of applications, and interest in natural materials, such as wood, plant fibres and wool, went somewhat into decline. It has changing due to the growing emphasis on the environmental issues associated with fossil-based production; issues such as resource depletion, land use and habitat degradation, the generation and disposal of wastes, and in particular the need to mitigate climate change. In response to the shifting emphasis, many organisations have used environmental footprinting methodologies, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), to better understand the impacts associated with the products. Wood and wood-based products have been well studied by LCA, with most of the main product categories having been assessed in one form or another. Animal-derived materials such as wool and leather have been used for millennia for textiles, furnishings, insulation and other uses, but they pose certain challenges when modelling LCA.
