> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://4revs.gitbook.io/handbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://4revs.gitbook.io/handbook/chapters/bio-based-materials/where-do-i-start.md).
# Where do I start?
## PERSONAL REFLECTION
Remember the exercise we did at the beginning of Bio-based Materials? Look around you again and think about what has changed. Do you recognize any materials? Can you tell if any of the objects around you are or could be redesigned with bio-based materials?
As we discovered, a 100% cotton T-shirt probably isn't truly sustainable due to the significant amount of water needed to grow and process this plant. We don't even know how the cotton was dyed, treated, how much energy was used to produce it, where it comes from, who worked on it, and under what conditions. Clearly, no individual can single-handedly control all these aspects, and it's not a fault to wear clothes whose exact origin or environmental impact is unknown. However, a personal first step could be to start asking ourselves more often:
### "Where does this clothing, these shoes come from?"
There are increasing movements in the fashion industry, like[ Fashion Revolution](https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/), which aims to create "A global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit." Let's follow their battles, read, and join campaigns that call on governments to legislate for greater transparency, sustainability, and generativity in the fashion sector.
Consider the main product(s) that your company is involved in making or selling. If you wish to begin to think about improving its sustainability, go through the following checklist systematically and map out the key points for improvement:
## PRACTICAL ACTION
For the practical exercise, we resume the good habit of asking questions. If you are making a bio-based material or replace an oil-based material in a product that is already on the market, here is a tentative checklist to help you with your design and a resource database.
• What does the production of this material entail?
• Are there hidden negative externalities in the production (for instance, lower CO2 emissions might coincide with a high soil erosion rate)?
• Where the raw bio material is it grown or produced? Under what conditions?
• Is the raw bio material readily available, easy to source?
• Can it be regenerated quickly and cost-effectively?
• What is the best use for that material? Does it compete with human nutrition, for example?
• How many elements can be extracted from that raw bio material?
• How many and which industries can it serve?
• Does the bio-based material require a lot of energy to produce?
• Does its production involve impactful chemical treatments?
• What impact does it have on the local economy? Would it foster it, would create conflicts, …?
Clearly, the goal is to create a product that best answers the questions above. There are hardly any materials without negative aspects. Therefore, it's essential to balance ambition and efforts with the reality and limitations of current knowledge. In the reality of business, for a product to be successful, being climate-positive isn't enough: many other factors need to be considered, such as the production costs of bio-based materials, ease of use, strength, durability, and even aesthetic appeal. In short, being eco-friendly alone isn't sufficient. The new material must withstand competition with cheaper short-term alternatives.
To help you with the task, here’s a brand-new example of a database, a knowledge-sharing platform, and partnership-building based on materials, with regenerative and transformative design at its core.
[Materiom](https://materiom.org/) is an international research platform focused on open-source recipes and data on materials made from abundant sources of natural ingredients, like agricultural waste. Specifically, Materiom openly shares knowledge and materials that have been developed using natural raw materials free of charge through registration on its website. Also, they use AI-driven software to streamline R\&D by synthesizing, testing, and optimizing new materials with minimal human intervention. Materiom works with companies, cities, and communities to support the development of local biomaterial supply chains that nourish local ecosystems and economies.
Looking to the future, Materiom asserts that “The next generation of materials is waste-free and regenerative by design,” implicitly adopting the idea that it is necessary to eliminate “zombie” materials and design techniques to focus on those that can have long and multiple lives.
So, use the examples we have cited in this chapter to start and draw inspiration. Have courage and plunge into the challenge!
