Self-made millionaire Bob Crebas was so alarmed by the fact that the cultivation of enormous quantities of cotton used by the fashion industry is responsible for 25% of all insecticides and 11% of pesticides used globally, causing massive pollution and the deaths of thousands of people who cultivate the crops without protection.  Crebas is dedicating his time to looking at alternative fibres and is developing the idea of extracting a silky thread from nettles that can be used for textiles.

Crebas commented “I just wanted to demonstrate that nettles can be a viable alternative to cotton and other textiles that are harmful to the environment”

Further investigation and research is already under way into the use of nettles for textiles, including the Sustainable Technology in Nettle Growing (Sting) project funded by Defra at Leicester’s De Montfort University.

To find out more log onto www.brennels.nl

B&Q, the DIY chain that is part of the Kingfisher group, hands out 80million bags a year but says it is keen to “reduce environmental pollution”.

B&Q intends to impose a 5p fee for single-use bags after a trial in Scotland and the North-East revealed that the introduction of charges led to a dramatic fall in the number issued.