Soy

Soy is a crop that has a multitude of uses. From foodstuff to clothing textiles to automobile interior, the uses for soy are never ending. As for clothing textiles, soy is known as the "vegetable cashmere" because of its softer-than-cotton feel. However, it is much easier to care for than cashmere (it is machine washable and can air dry) and absorbs dyes quickly, therefore using less dye-stuffs.

The most sustainable aspect of using soy materials for clothing textiles are that the fibre that is used for textiles comes from the "leftovers" of the soy food industry--discarded tofu. The left over tofu pieces are gathered and liquefied, then extruded through spinnerets and spun into fine yarns. The process is similar to how bamboo is processed.

Soy is also incredibly sustainable in that the textiles are biodegradable--in some cases you could even throw your piece of soy clothing on the compost pile when you've worn it out. The manufacturing process for soy textiles does not include any petrochemicals, which prevents the release of harmful substances to the environment.

SImilar to bamboo and hemp, soy is extremely abosorbent, allowing persperation to evaporate--it will keep you cool when it's hot out and warm when it's cold. Also similarly, soy is anti-bacterial and UV resistant.

Soy is being considered an advanced environmental alternative to a number of resources such as biodiesel, crayons, ink, and cleaners.