Making Fiber Production Cleaner—and Bringing It Back Home

By Michelle Fiscus, Senior VP & Chief Communications Officer

At North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, Dr. Ericka Ford is reinventing synthetic fibers by developing fabrics that could one day reduce global carbon emissions while still powering the clothes, furniture, and protective gear we rely on.

Dr. Ford’s work is tackling one of the biggest challenges in the textile industry: making high-performance fibers greener, safer, and more economically viable to produce right here in the U.S. instead of relying on processes that are energy-intensive or hazardous. 

Watch the video above to see her process in action and understand why this matters for sustainability and the future of textiles.