Biocomposites have one or more of their phases derived from biological origins, e.g., plant fibres from crops such as cotton, flax or hemp, or from recycled wood, waste paper, crop processing by- products or regenerated cellulose fibres such as viscose/rayon. The matrix phase within a biocomposite may often take the form of a natural polymer, possibly derived from vegetable oils or starches. More commonly, however, synthetic fossil- derived polymers (e.g., ‘virgin’ or recycled thermoplastics) act as the matrices.