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For many kids the backpack is an essential item for school, but what happens to it when it can no longer be used?

New research says the majority of children think that having clothes and items that are made in a sustainable way is more important than what they look like.

But many school backpacks are made of materials that could take hundreds of years to decompose.

To tackle the problem, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in London has come up with a bag which is completely biodegradable.

Every item - bar the zips which can be cut out and reused - is compostable, which means once someone is done with it it can be thrown into a compost bin where it will decompose in less than a year.

It came about after the IET carried out a study of 5 to13-year-olds and asked the children to predict the clothes we'd be wearing in the future - environmental concerns came out top!

Almost three-quarters (74%) said they hoped to see outfits that can eventually decompose leaving zero waste in the future, and the majority (86%) claimed that clothing which is made sustainably is more important than 'looking cool'.

The IET has been working with fashion brand HYPE. and Biophilica - manufacturers of a unique leather-like material made of green waste - to create a school backpack which is biodegradable.

It says it would take around eight months for the backpack to break down.

The IET is even inviting children to design their own version of the backpack with the chance to have a sample of their design made.

What happens to clothes when we no longer use them?

Clothes, shoes and bags are often put in landfill when they can no longer be used, but what happens to them there depends very much on what they are made of.

There are some materials which will break down in just a few months or even a few weeks, whereas other synthetic materials can take up to 200 years!

A t-shirt made of cotton will take two to five months to decompose but a t-shirt made of polyester can take up to 200 years to decompose.

That's because it's actually a type of plastic and will also release the harmful gas methane as it gradually starts to break down.

Cotton is described asbiodegradable because it is a completely natural material.

Some materials especially ones used for waterproof clothing, shoes and bags are made of materials that are non-biodegradable.

It may take between 20 and 200 years to completely break down things made with non-biodegradable fabrics like polyester, rayon and nylon.

Will more things be biodegradable in the future?

Many campaigners say people should try and reuse and recycle clothes as much as possible, but there is still more than a million tonnes of textiles sent to landfill each year.

In the past all clothes would have been made from natural materials and would have naturally broken down, but now there are many items that don't, like waterproof clothing and shoes, that make up an important part of our wardrobes.

Many designers and companies have been working to come up with solutions to this problem, for example designing compostable trainers and sequins which are biodegradable.

What do you think? Would you like to see more clothes made from biodegradable and sustainable materials?