Biobased textiles are not new. Chemists have been experimenting with them for more than a century—turning soft woods into cellulose, and bamboo into rayon viscose—and the apparel, agriculture, and construction industries utilize them regularly. Surgeons use biobased plastics because of the material’s ability be easily reabsorbed into the body. But, with Biobased Xorel, the 63-year-old, family-owned company accomplished two breakthroughs. Carnegie pushed the plant-based content of the line, depending on the pattern, to between 60 and 85 percent—very high numbers, considering the U.S. government requires only 25 percent for the official biobased label. More importantly, the company figured out how to use sugarcane as the raw material, significantly reducing the product’s environmental footprint.