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Did you look up the composition of the 'synthetic' material? If you did, https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj8013 you will find that the fibre is composed of chitosan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitosan is a sugar. Which is treated with N,N-Dimethylformamide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethylformamide a solvent.

So it appears that this is not a plastic. Maybe you could check to see if this fibre is actually biodegradable?

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It's actually referred to as a bioplastic in the linked Wikipedia article and is a solid, polymerizing organic molecule with "plastic"-like properties -- and, apparently, known biological activity.

I think it's a valid question that its status as not being petroleum derived does not necessarily answer meaningfully.

From the wiki article.

“Once discarded, chitosan-constructed objects are biodegradable and non-toxic.[66] … Pigmented chitosan objects can be recycled,… Unlike other plant-based bioplastics (e.g. cellulose, starch)”

Aren't there [proton,] batteries made of Chitosan; Proton-Polymer batteries?

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