**Abstract**

The increasing environmental concerns and depletion of petroleum resources have increased the importance of natural fibers and have stimulated researchers and industries to use sustainable fibers instead of conventional synthetic fibers. Besides exceptionally brilliant mechanical and physical properties are also attractive aspects of natural fibers enabling the utilization of natural fibers in myriad of textile and non-textile applications such as clothing, and reinforced composite products in various industries such as automotive, building, and furniture. Natural fiber composites are composite materials comprising of reinforcing fibers derived from renewable and carbon dioxide neutral resources such as wood or plants. NFCs find application in molded articles that demand moderate strength for acceptable performance for various indoor and outdoor applications. A rapid drift from oil-derived polymers and mineral-reinforced materials to sustainable alternatives has fostered automotive and packaging industries to start utilizing natural fiber composites in their designs. Accordingly, natural fiber composites are serving as energy efficient and sustainable alternatives replacing traditional materials such as metals, polymeric resins, and reinforcement fibers. A worldwide clamor for green products and thus upsurge in sustainable alternatives have been witnessed as a result of diminishing petroleum reserves worldwide, exorbitant prices of petroleum, and high disposal costs of petroleumbased composites along with inability of decomposition of some petroleum-based composites. Contrastingly, natural materials outshine the petroleum-based products in being renewable, inexpensive, biodegradable, and eco-friendly.

**Keywords:** natural fibers, sustainable, environment, textile, bio degradability, composites
