Student research spotlight: Deborah’s research on transitioning to alternative plant-based textile biomaterials
Posted on 21 May 2025
We are continuing our series on sharing student research from the latest Student Sustainability Research Conference 2025 (SSRC25). This week, we interviewed Deborah Mackenzie, an MSc student in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York who presented her work at the conference in March.
Deborah’s research explores whether a sustainable industrial transition to alternative plant-based textile biomaterials is achievable.
Can you introduce yourself and your research?
My name is Deborah Mackenzie, and I am studying an MSc in sustainability business/environment and society within the Department of Environment and Geography. I have recently begun research into evaluating the mass market potential of transitioning to alternative plant-based textile biomaterials derived from agricultural waste.
What inspired you to pursue this area of sustainability research?
I started to grow my interest in material alternatives to plastic during my undergraduate degree in Textile Design. I was also a freelancer for a slow fashion bag designer who wanted to incorporate fungal leather into her work, but due to the current production of such materials being small scale, not entirely commercially available and the cost being high, this was not a viable option for her.
These experiences, along with my current MSc, where I have grown my knowledge of concepts such as Circular Economies and Just Transitions, have informed my inspiration for alternative plant-based textile biomaterials.
What was your experience presenting at SSRC25?
I had a great time presenting at the Student Sustainability Research Conference (SSRC25). Having that practical experience of communicating my work to an audience helped me identify gaps and key avenues to move towards in my research and my future career ambitions.
I resonated with a point made by one of the final panel members, that industries should transition to adopting sustainable practices in the same regard as we have seen an improvement of health and safety regulations implemented throughout the last decades.
Where do you hope your research will lead?
I hope my research on evaluating an effective transition to alternative plant-based textile biomaterials derived from agricultural waste will contribute to the conversation of halting plastic production of textiles and highlight an economic benefit of adapting a textile circularity model. I would like my research to lay the foundations of a career of creating policies that change how we produce products and create sustainable waste management practices.
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A huge thanks to Deborah for sharing more about her research and experience presenting at the conference. Stay tuned for more stories showcasing the incredible work being done across our student community.