Definitions

Agrochemical: a chemical used in agriculture, such as a pesticide or a fertilizer

Alkali: a substance that has a pH greater than 7.0

Bioaccumulation: the accumulation over time of a substance – particularly contaminants – in a living organism

Biodiversity: the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable

Biogas: gaseous fuel produced by the fermentation of organic matter

Biomass: plant or animal material used for energy production, or in various industrial processes as raw substance for a range of products

Carcinogen: a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue

Catalyst: a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change

Cellulose: an insoluble substance which is the main constituent of plant cell walls and of vegetable fibres

Cellulose fibre: fibre derived from plants

Consumerism: a social and economic order that encourages an acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts

Contamination: the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning

Decortication: the removal of the outer layer or cortex from a structure

Effluent: liquid waste which is discharged into a natural water body

Fermentation: the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms

Filament: a singular fine, continuous fibre

Finishes: the term for a range of mechanical and chemical processes that are used on textiles after their manufacture to provide desired qualities

Grape marc: the solid remains of grapes after pressing for juice, containing the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit

Greenhouse gas: a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, capturing heat in the earth's atmosphere

Greenwashing: disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image

Methane: a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable gas, which is the main component in natural gas and is a prominent greenhouse gas

Microplastics: extremely small pieces of plastic debris in the environment resulting from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste

Mordants: a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material

Perennial: a plant that lives for more than two years

Pollution: the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET): a thermoplastic polymer which belongs to the polyester family 

Polymerisation: a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks

Protein fibre: fibre derived from animals  

Regenerated fibre: fibre manufactured by dissolving a natural material, such as cellulose or protein, and restoring the material through extrusion and precipitation

Spinneret: a cap or plate with a number of small holes through which a fibre-forming solution is forced

Sustainability: responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality

Synthetic: man-made, not naturally occurring

Virgin fibre: fibre which has never been previously used