November 6, 2002 [SolarAccess.com] Fountain Set and Cargill Dow have teamed up to introduce more sustainable alternatives into the apparel market. The companies are working together to offer a line of performance fabrics from PLA fibers – renewable resource-based fibers derived from crops like corn. PLA is a melt-spinnable resin developed by Cargill Dow. PLA fibers are derived from annually renewable resources and not petroleum, which the majority of synthetic fibers are currently derived from. Cargill Dow’s process for making the natural-based fiber requires 20 percent to 50 percent less fossil fuel resources than the typical synthetic fiber manufacturing process, and because carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere in growing the feedstock crop, the overall carbon dioxide emissions are significantly lower than comparable synthetics.
