It means you get involved. Technically, our local forms of government are not participatory democracies. Officially, participatory democracy is direct democracy, in the sense that all citizens are actively involved in all important decisions.
It shouldn't if washed with gentle care. Rayon is a cellulose fabric and like most cellulose fabrics, it may shrink when washed. If the manufacturer has indicated the garment should be dry cleaned only, do not push your luck. If it is hand-washable though, you can use the gentle cycle on your washing machine and Woolite to get the job done.
Cotton is 100% biodegradable and when in a managed landfill it is over 99% gone in 30 days. Rayon on the other hand uses a tremendous amount of energy, from cutting down trees, then shipping those trees to facilities, then converting the wood into pulp â the usable raw material for viscose manufacturing.