The paper pointed out that the fashion industry is one of the industries that pollute the earth the most, second only to the oil and gas industry. The textile manufacturing industry consumes a lot of water and generates millions of tons of waste. The annual greenhouse gas emissions account for 5% to 10% of the global total. In addition, the maintenance of textile equipment usually consumes more energy and water than the manufacturing process.

The corresponding author of the paper, MIT Svetlana Boriskina (Svetlana Boriskina) and colleagues used standard textile industry processes and equipment to produce fibers, yarns and fabrics made of polyethylene. They found that even without any chemical treatment, these fabrics have the characteristics of stain resistance, good water absorption, and fast drying. Polyethylene yarn can be colored using environmentally friendly technology, avoiding a large amount of toxic waste water generated by traditional processes.