By some measures, the global chemicals industry now produces 70,000 different chemicals. Concerns about human health and ecosystem well-being are moving industry to reduce the use of toxic materials in the U.S. and elsewhere. For example, a recent ruling in California mandates the phasing out by 2008 of certain types of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardant chemicals which had been widely used by furniture and electronics makers. This ruling is forcing PBDE manufacturers to develop more benign products. 

One trend resulting from public and government pressure is the development of materials and technologies that borrow from, or mimic, natural processes and natural chemistry. Thus trend is often called “biomimicry,” based on the book by Janine Benyus. Innovations in this field are broad, yet include chemicals, manufacturing process and product design. Velcro, for instance, was invented in 1948 by a Swiss mountaineer who copied the design of a plant’s burs that had stuck to his dog on a hike. Orb-weaver spider silk is being examined as a potential source of fiber manufacturing technology that could produce superior clothing, structural supports, and other tensile applications. Materials innovation will be one the Megatrends in human consumption during the next 25 years.