According to the European standardisation committee CEN, the term ‘bio-based’ product refers to products wholly or partly derived from biomass, such as plants, trees or animals (the biomass can have undergone physical, chemical or biological treatment). However, for various certified labels a minimum requirement is set for the amount of carbon the product is made of. (reference: EN16575)

We can identify various stages or generations of the development of bio-based fibres, as shown in the following diagram, which also situates the on-going work in HEREWEAR.