BioFluff | World’s First Plant-Based Fur

Fur, feathers, wool, or leather. Numerous materials of animal origins are used in the fashion industry. Fortunately, a growing number of brands are against them for ethical, environmental, and economic consequences, and an increasing number of innovators are developing sustainable alternatives.

Since animal husbandry at fur farms is known to be extremely harsh, the use of fur in particular is now strongly discouraged. Animals raised especially for the fur trade endure the worst treatment possible. They are frequently skinned alive and forced into cramped, unclean wire cages where they are unable to engage in their normal social behaviours. Furthermore, tanning procedures include environmentally hazardous chemicals to prevent the animal furs from decomposing. Consequently, fur loads affect humans, the environment, and animals.

For a very long time, there was no sustainable and animal-friendly substitute for those who loved fur coats. This is due to the fact that animal fur substitutes so far in the market have been made using synthetic fibres which consists of polyester and modacrylic fibres, which are again harmful for the environment. These fibres are made synthetically from petrochemicals, partially derived from fossil fuels, and generate a significant quantity of waste. With bans on real fur going across regions like EU, United states and other countries, luxury firms are aggressively searching for innovative sustainable fur alternatives to animal and synthetic furs. Bio-materials startup- BioFluff, based in New York and Paris has developed a cost-competitive, biodegradable, and high-quality alternative to both.

BioFluff was founded in 2022 by biochemist Martin Steubler, experienced textile executive Steven Usdan, and computer scientist turned fashion-tech entrepreneur Roni Gamzon. BioFluff is the first 100% plant-based fur which keeps you warm and cozy, provide a stylish look and also protects the plants and animals. Without causing suffering to animals, the patented production method produces a distinctive, sustainable, and morally acceptable fur substitute.

Biofluff luxury materials brand is called SAVIAN which is a collection of the first-ever plant-based fur and shearling. The hairy fibres of fur, in contrast to current faux furs, are extracted from plants and agricultural waste using specialised enzymes that are also produced from plants. BioFluff is made using mixture of nettle, hemp and flax, half of which the company claims can be sourced from agricultural waste streams. They use their unique technique in Italy to make the fur, sourcing the fibres from across Europe. They combine science, the know-how of the Italian fur business, and current textile technologies.

Early estimates indicate that the plant-based fur creates 50% less emissions than its plastic equivalents while eliminating the problem of microplastics, while a complete lifecycle analysis is still pending. Additionally, according to BioFluff, the material generates up to 90% less emissions than actual animal fur because it does not require the intensive processing needed to manufacture pelts or the requirement to raise and feed cattle. The resulting textile’s natural brown tint can be bleached to an off-white hue or coloured using mineral pigments.

Danish fashion brand Ganni has collaborated with BioFluff to develop special edition bags that was unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week this year.

BioFluff X Ganni — *The fluffy bags are enveloped in plant-based fake fur*

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VitroLabs | Creating world’s first cell-cultivated leather

The worldwide leather market was worth US$ 350.2 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$ 490.2 Billion by 2027. With such changes, there is a critical need for sustainable leather alternatives.

Companies and retailers are on a mission to develop high-quality leather alternatives as the world becomes more conscious of the ethical and environmental challenges involved with traditional leather production. Lab-grown meat has gotten a lot of attention, with goods from multiple businesses scheduled to join the market in 2022 and 2023. Another startup is now ready to scale up the production of lab-grown leather.

Launched in 2016 and headquartered in Milpitas California, Vitrolabs, is a biotech company developing a scalable tissue engineering platform for the efficient and environmentally friendly production of leather from only a few cells.

This procedure entails removing a biopsy (a one-time sampling of cells) from a live animal. These cells are then cultivated in a nutrient-rich environment, dividing and creating tissue that can be transformed into leather. The complexity of traditional hides is achieved by the composition of the material produced by this procedure. This addresses a common criticism leveled at various leather alternatives: that consumers crave the luxurious quality of real leather.

Last autumn, the firm expanded into a new facility to pilot production, and as it moves closer to commercialization, it has raised $46 million (about €43 million) in a new round of funding.

There are a lot of companies in the market that are developing alternative materials to leather. At VitroLabs, their cultivated animal leather preserves the biological characteristics that the industry, craftsmen, and consumers know and love about leather while eliminating the most environmentally and ethically damaging aspects of the traditional leather manufacturing process associated with its sourcing.

VitroLab grows animal hides with the same properties as the traditional leathers, but without the waste and harm to animals. This is how they work:

Seed

The process begins by planting a seed, or in their case, a cell. They derive cells from a non-harmful, one-time biopsy of a living animal. With their assistance, these cells can then self-regenerate endlessly, creating everything required to produce high-quality animal hide.

Grow

When given the correct environment, cells know just what to do. So they do exactly that. We give the cells the signals and nutrition they require to grow into an animal hide using their sophisticated bioreactor. Instead of years of development on an animal, their method takes only a few weeks.

Harvest

Once the growth phase is complete, the hide can be tanned without further processing. Because their cells only generate what is required, the tanning process is simplified, resulting in a significant reduction in environmental impact

Many innovators are working on leather substitutes produced from materials such as apples, hemp, and grape waste. On the other hand, VitroLab is the first innovator that is taking a lab-grown approach to sustainable leather.

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Fabscrap | Recycling textile scraps to tackle fashion’s waste problem

The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, significantly more than air travel. Part of this is simply waste—fabric that is discarded before or after the sale and winds up in landfills.

One such company is New York-based Fabscrap, a non-profit organization that minimizes and recycles textile waste. Launched in 2017, Fabscrap works with over 500 fashion brands—from Oscar de la Renta to Macy’s to J.Crew, Marc Jacobs, and Lafayette148, as well as the interior design and entertainment industries.

Fabscrap fills an essential niche by focusing on commercial waste created by businesses rather than municipal or post-consumer waste (clothing and linens thrown by households).

Every year, around 12.8 million tonnes of post-consumer clothing are wasted in the United States, accounting for approximately 6-7% of the waste stream in most cities. Another 5 million tonnes of commercial textile waste is disposed of in landfills. Despite the fact that New York City has recycling rules in place to avoid such waste, they have proven difficult to implement. This is due to the fact that commercial garbage is collected by private carriers rather than the Department of Sanitation, and it is not tracked or recorded as strictly as post-consumer waste.

Fabscrap has been a helpful partner for fashion brands that have sustainability as a core aspect of their business. Lafayette 148, an early Fabscrap client, is one of these brands. It, like many other fashion enterprises, sells unused yardage at the end of a season or cuts and sews it into clothes for sample sales.

How Fabscrap deal with textile waste?

Fabscrap deals with the textile and fabric waste using a princess called downcycling. Fabscrap can shred any fabric of any blend, as long as there’s no spandex in it. The resulting fluffy fiber pulp, known as shoddy, is utilized in a variety of applications, including insulation, carpet padding, mattress stuffing, moving blankets, and even refrigerated food delivery boxes. So this is not technically recycling—it substantially increases the life of fibers.

In the future, the industry will see advancements in fiber-to-fiber recycling, such as 100% cotton being mechanically or chemically altered to become a fiber again. This method isn’t quite ready for industrial usage yet, but it’s on its way, and they’re already preparing for it.

Fabscrap redistributes or resells other waste, such as— fabrics and even materials such as scrap leather. They operate public fabric thrift stores in their warehouses, including one in Philadelphia, as well as an online store.

Their warehouse volunteers—there are now 7,000 of them in Brooklyn—can take home five pounds of fabric for free at the end of a shift. Furthermore, they hold pop-ups at fashion schools across the country, delivering designer fabric straight to students. And it’s all at thrift shop rates and of excellent quality. They hope that once students begin internships or their first careers, they will have a new perspective on waste and design in responsible ways that contribute to industry-wide waste reduction.

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How nature is shaping the fashion industry’s future

The time has already come when many people are avoiding the purchase of clothes made of fur and animal skins, as well as materials that pollute the environment. The fashion industry has begun a mad scramble to adopt environmentally sustainable and animal-friendly textiles.

There doesn’t seem to be a month that goes by without someone in the industry revealing new materials containing some unexpected ingredients, ranging from expired milk to dandelions, all of which are gradually influencing the wardrobes of the future.

The wardrobe of the future may sound more like a natural history museum than a closet full of clothes because of the launch of a jacket made of spider silk, a handbag made of mushrooms, grapes, or apples, or sneakers made of sugar cane or seaweed. Nonetheless, this is the direction in which the fashion industry is currently moving, as it seeks out more environmentally and animal-friendly fibers, two key characteristics that consumers now consider before making a purchase.

Besides these, many of the traditional materials, like linen and hemp, are coming back to the forefront, which is now viewed as new-generation fibers. But these often are a result of collaborations with biotech start-ups that transform nature’s riches into innovative and sustainable materials.

Let’s talk about some of these unique and unusual materials that are likely to make their way into our wardrobe in the next few years.

Spinning spoiled milk into biodegradable fiber

Amazing, but real! Out-of-date milk may soon make its way into our closets. Casein-based fibers have been around for a long time, having been invented by an Italian chemist and engineer during the interwar period. However, they have recently returned to the foreground in order to reduce fashion’s environmental impact. The finding was originally meant to replace wool; instead, it is now (already) used in the construction of T-shirts and lingerie products.

While the procedure that began in the 1930s has been enhanced, it is essentially unchanged. It entails repurposing old milk and turning it into a natural, biodegradable fabric. The QMilch textile, produced by German microbiologist and fashion designer Anke Domaske, in search of natural fibers for her cancer-stricken father-in-law, is one of the most well-known of these items. Other manufacturers, such as Germaine des Prés and Italy’s start-up fashion brand Duedilatte, have subsequently followed suit, offering T-shirts, panties and nightdresses made from milk fiber, which is guaranteed to be antimicrobial and 100% biodegradable.

Mushroom Leather emerging as a sustainable alternative

Wearing fungi, it’s not eww now! Isn’t it amazing that mycelium, a material grown from fungi that can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheepskin, can help the fashion industry save the planet!

Biomaterials company MycoWorks founded in 2013 by material developers Sophia Wang and Philip Ross, have forecasted that mushroom leather could be a sustainability gamechanger. Their patented material Fine Mycelium, is made from fungi grown in trays in a couple of weeks, replicating the appearance and feel of leather while outperforming it in strength and durability. The material made its high-fashion debut in a limited-edition Hermès handbag.

Along with MycoWorks, Bolt Threads – another California-based biomaterials company working with mushroom leather, which partnered with Stella McCartney on a handbag displayed at Paris Fashion Week and is creating goods with Adidas, is another leading player in the mushroom leather sector.

Spider silk changing the futuristic fashion

Don’t worry, animal lovers! This does not entail putting our four-legged pals to work 7 days a week to create tomorrow’s sweaters and other clothes. Silk threads are secreted by spiders’ silk glands and were initially employed to allow these small hairy creatures to move around, build their homes, and set traps for their victims. However, scientists have examined the mechanical qualities and DNA structure of spider silk in order to develop new applications for the material and to mass-produce it.

Two firms, Bolt Threads and AMSilk, have both succeeded in creating lab-made silk that is inspired by spider silk. Bolt Threads has already collaborated with Stella McCartney and Adidas on a tennis dress made from Microsilk, and AMSilk’s Biosteel Fiber is already used in a variety of clothes, shoes, and accessories. Even more astounding, The North Face has used Spiber‘s revolutionary silk to create the Moon Parka, a complete down jacket. This silk is strong and long-lasting, and it might easily become a wardrobe essential.

New-gen rubber made from Dandelion

We have already heard about pineapple leaves, mushrooms, cactus, grape, apple, or corn leftovers, seaweed, and sugar cane replacing the synthetic fibers in fashion collections — and we’re not exaggerating — the dandelion may emerge as a surprising rival in this increasingly crowded field. It has also come a long way. In the 1920s, the USSR considered the scope of its possibilities before discarding the project. Then, in order to create its famous tyres, Continental, a German manufacturer, turned to dandelion root, which had lately catapulted this flowering plant back into the spotlight.

The stem of the dandelion plant is full of latex, which dries to form an elastic rubber substance that might swiftly eclipse the traditional rubber tree. In the world of fashion, the American brand Cole Haan has entered the area, releasing a pair of sneakers with a dandelion rubber outsole. It appears that the garden and the wardrobe are getting closer.

Coconut fiber, bamboo, and lotus fibers, in addition to all of the above sustainable elements, are helping to create the future of fashion. Which ones will truly stand out and forever change our closets remains to be seen. We’re betting on lab-grown silk, mycelium (a mushroom-derived substance), fruit and vegetables (which are always necessary), and expired milk.

Cannaba | Vegan wool made in a responsible way

Animal wool is still widely used in the fashion industry, animal agriculture’s tremendous impact can no longer be overlooked.

With the ever-increasing number of fashion firms eager to minimize their support for intensive farming, now is the ideal time to debut a new attractive option. Despite the numerous industry-created animal welfare guidelines, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and avoid it when effective alternatives are so readily available.

Although wool has a natural origin, it is far from being impact-free. It’s “mass” manufacturing, like that of cotton, makes it a high-impact sector. A billion sheep are grown for the wool business each year, according to reports. This, of course, has a significant impact on climate change. Animal agriculture is frequently linked to methane emissions. Methane is 25 times more aggressive than CO2, but it is rarely mentioned. It’s terrible because methane can loop out of the atmosphere in less than ten years, whereas CO2 takes a century. As a result, limiting the usage of animal-based components as soon as possible can have a significant positive influence on the environment.

A billion sheeps are raised for wool every year.

It’s one animal for seven human beings.

Cannaba is a vegan shearling exclusively made in France. Cannaba is created exclusively in France in Peltex, using hemp and recycled fiber blends (France). Cannaba Wool is a teddy that checks all the boxes: it’s vegan and ethically created, it helps the hemp industry, and it encourages recycling. It’s a fantastic fit for Ecopel’s new Make A Change strategy, one of the elements of which is the creation of low-impact materials.

Why hemp

Hemp is naturally eco-friendly.

Hemp is one of the most environmentally friendly fibers on the market today. It’s inherently sustainable because it doesn’t need a lot of water or pesticides. In comparison to other fibers, hemp uses fewer inputs and has a smaller impact on cultivation. This animal-free material has a lovely organic feel thanks to hemp.

Why recycled polyester

Recycling is sustainable.

Recycled polyester is environmentally friendly: compared to virgin polyester, it uses 32% less energy and emits 59% less CO2. Recycled fibers save non-renewable resources by eliminating the need for virgin materials, and they divert waste from landfills by giving the garment a second life.

Why acrylic

It acts as a softener: to make the material soft, they need a small amount of acrylic. There are acrylic-free solutions available. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s 2017 Higg Materials Sustainability Index gives it a score of 10, which is greater than animal-based materials (the higher the worst).

So, clothing should be treated with care and not considered disposable.

While the wool and fur industries’ biodegradability claims are still questionable. A product created with Cannaba can be taken to a downcycling facility when it reaches the end of its life cycle. It will be kept out of landfills and converted into useful products. Downcycling reduces the demand for new materials. The ultimate goal for the future is to improve mixed textile recycling.

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MICROSILK™ | Protein-based biodegradable vegan silk

Microsilk™ is a silk-like biosynthetic fiber made by the US-based company Bolt Threads. Microsilk™ is created by fermenting water, yeast, and sugar with spider DNA. It’s a fabric that’s been called “stronger than steel and more tear-resistant than Kevlar.”

Bolt Threads started by researching spider silk proteins to see what gives them their amazing features, such as high tensile strength, elasticity, durability, and softness. They then built technology to duplicate the process on a vast scale indefinitely.

How It’s Made

Synthetic spider silk is made using a few simple components and a lot of research. Sugar, water, and spider DNA-infused yeast cells are mixed together and fermented in big stainless-steel tanks. After centrifugation, the mixture is refined into a powder and combined with a solvent. The resulting liquid silk protein, which resembles glue, is identical to the liquid protein that spiders extrude from their silk glands and eventually form into fiber in their natural state.

The liquid silk protein is then extracted using spinnerets and spun into fibers in the same way that acrylic and rayon fibers are produced.

In the process, no spiders are employed at all. Bolt Threads began by studying real spider silk in order to better understand the relationship between the spiders’ DNA and the properties of the fibers they produce. They can now produce such proteins without utilizing spiders thanks to modern technologies.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are not present in Microsilk® fibers. Genetically engineered yeast is used in the manufacturing process. The silk protein is removed from the yeast when fermentation is complete, and the remaining yeast cells are killed by heat. There are no GMOs in the finished product. As they point out, this is the same technique that has been used to safely create cheese, insulin, and a variety of vaccines for decades. Bolt Threads gets its sugar from genetically modified corn during the fermenting phase. Because of the abundant supply, all big fermentation factories in the United States already use sugar from GMO corn.

Because of the abundant supply, all big fermentation factories in the United States already use sugar from GMO corn. Large-scale fermentation of non-food crops known as cellulosic feedstock is expected to be achievable in the future. Bolt Threads declares its commitment to participating in the development of solutions that will allow that future to become a reality.

Features of Microsilk™

Sugar from plants that are grown, harvested and replanted is the key input in the fiber-making process, and it is considered a renewable resource.

Few of the benefits of Microsilk™ include warmer than wool, lightweight, and much stronger than silk.

Applications

Microsilk™ is still in the research and development stage. They will conduct a life cycle analysis to evaluate the environmental consequences of their material, and they will be able to compare the results to dozens of other natural and synthetic materials using the industry-standard Higg Materials Sustainability Index.

Microsilk™ fibers have only been used in prototype fashion products so far, including a limited edition knit tie collection, a dress for the Museum of Modern Art created in collaboration with high-end fashion designer Stella McCartney, and a limited edition beanie collection made of Microsilk™ blended with Rambouillet wool.

Bolt Threads isn’t the only company that manufactures synthetic spider silk. Spiber, a Japanese startup, has teamed with The North Face and Goldwin, and its synthetic spider-silk material has already been used in proof-of-concept winter jackets.

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Yulex® Natural Rubber | Plant-based neoprene alternative

Since the 1950s, surfers have been addicted to neoprene, the base material for wetsuits. This synthetic rubber, first developed by DuPont in 1930, was created by chlorinating and polymerizing butadiene, a petrochemical obtained from crude oil. It is a nonrenewable material with a high-energy manufacturing method.

Many companies are trying to employ limestone as a substitute for neoprene in recent decades. But it also has many negative impacts on the environment. Limestone is a non-renewable resource that is difficult to harvest and destructive to the environment, and it also consumers a lot of energy during its manufacturing stage.

There was a high requirement for a less harmful alternative to neoprene. This is when a US-based company called Yulex, started developing rubber derived from the guayule plant.

Yulex has developed Yulex Pure, the world’s first plant-based neoprene alternative with a significantly lower carbon footprint, as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditionally produced neoprene.

The sap of the rubber tree is used to make natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis). Natural rubber, unlike synthetic rubber, is a renewable resource that is sourced mostly from plantations in South and Southeast Asia, as well as Central America. Millions of rubber trees are being planted across the tropics as global demand for natural rubber grows; regrettably, many national forests are being cleared to make way for the new trees.

Yulex is dedicated to developing only deforestation-free, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible natural rubber. They encourage their farmers and producers to use only legal and appropriate management techniques.

Despite the fact that just 4% of worldwide rubber plantation land is now FSC®-certified, well-managed FSC®-certified forest management has the potential to change the natural rubber sector in a positive environmental and social way. Farmers and producers can see that there is a significant market for their responsibly produced natural rubber thanks to Yulex and its consumers.

Yulex adopts Forest Stewardship Council®, which has stringent standards for rubber plantation certification. Plantations with this certification, for example, have no history of deforestation, pesticide abuse, or human rights breaches. Yulex has developed proprietary procedures for purifying natural rubber after it has been harvested on the plantation.

This purified natural rubber latex considerably eliminates contaminants inherent in rubber manufacturing, particularly allergens. Yulex’s patented procedures also eliminate impurities that cause putrification (poor odor) and discoloration in natural rubber, which is a typical complaint in many rubber goods.

Then they license their Yulex purifying technology, which is employed on-site, to only FSC®-certified forest plantations. The outcome was a plant-based neoprene alternative- Yulex Pure® natural rubber.

Natural neoprene is a versatile material that may be utilized in a variety of applications, including wetsuits. Yulex has also launched wetsuits with the sustainable outdoor company Patagonia.

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NetPlus® | Made from 100% recycled discarded Fishing Nets

Plastic is poisoning the world’s oceans. Every year, around 8.8 million tonnes of poorly managed plastic, the majority of it single-use, enter the oceans throughout the world.

Discarded, derelict fishing nets in the ocean are one of the most destructive forms of plastic pollution. Scientists estimate that over 650,000 marine species are killed or seriously harmed every year as a result of being trapped in fishing gear.

Because there are no end-of-life options for old, frayed, and ripped fishing nets, they are abandoned.

A California-based startup- Bureo®, is working directly with South American fishing communities to deal with this issue and give a responsible alternative to virgin plastics.

In Bureo’s upcycling process, discarded nets are collected, sorted, cleaned, and shredded in Chile, and then recycled into NetPlus®, a 100% fully traceable postconsumer material. This program is helping to keep hundreds of tonnes of discarded nets out of the water each year, along with offering, extra income to coastal communities.

NetPlus® is the only material on the market that’s made entirely of recycled fishing nets. NetPlus materials are 100% traceable back to the communities where the nets were used and discarded.

Bureo takes on the challenge of recycling discarded fishing nets into products such as skateboard decks, sunglasses frames, surfboard fins, and hat brims. Thousands of pounds of plastic garbage are removed from the marine environment as a result of this process. It teaches people all across the world about the plastics catastrophe that is currently disrupting the equilibrium of our oceans.

Bureo is working with industry leaders to incorporate NetPlus material into their supply chains. Some of them are:

PATAGONIA

Patagonia and Bureo are working together to incorporate their NetPlus® material into Patagonia’s hat brims and jacket shells.

TIN SHED VENTURES

Bureo is a partner company with Patagonia’s venture capital fund, Tin Shed Ventures®, which invests in businesses that provide answers to environmental challenges.

HUMANSCALE

Humanscale has used NetPlus® material to make the world’s first ergonomic task chair made of recycled fishing nets. For making a single smart ocean chair around 2 pounds of recycled fishing net material is used.

SUNGLASSES COSTA

The Untangled Collection frames are made entirely of recycled fishing nets and are fitted with mineral glass lenses.

JENGA OCEAN

Bureo & Jenga® Ocean™ has developed the world’s first board game made entirely of recycled fishing nets. Jenga Ocean is made up of over 25 square feet of nets from Bureo’s Net Positiva recycling initiative.

CARVER SKATEBOARDS

‘The Ahi,’ a performance skateboard is created from recycled fishing nets by CARVER SKATEBOARDS.

Using recycled raw materials from abandoned fishing nets decreases the requirement for virgin plastic while also preventing hazardous plastic pollution from entering the world’s oceans and makes Plastic-Free Oceans

Bureo collaborates with more than 50 fishing communities in South America (Chile, Argentina, and Peru) to offer a financially rewarded program for collecting, cleaning, sorting, and recycling discarded fishing nets.

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REFIBRA™ | Technology creating fiber from upcycled cotton scraps & cotton waste

The revolutionary R EFIBRA™ technology is developed by LENZING™, a leading manufacturer of viscose fibers based in Austria.

The pioneering REFIBRA™ technology upcycles cotton waste from garment manufacturing. The cotton scraps from pre & post-consumer cotton waste are transformed into cotton pulp. Then a significant percentage of this is added to wood pulp, and the combined raw material is turned into fresh virgin TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers for use in textiles and garments.

REFIBRA™ is a new line of environmentally friendly fabrics manufactured from upcycled cotton scraps from pre-and post-consumer cotton waste, as well as LenzingTM Lyocell fibers derived from wood pulp. RefibraTM materials are breathable, biodegradable, and naturally soft, and gentle on the skin.

What are the benefits of REFIBRA™ fabrics?

REFIBRA™ technology promotes supply chain transparency and contributes to the circular economy in the textile industry.

100% Self-sustaining

Recycled material

Supply chain transparency

Certified and trademarked by Lenzing

Responsible production process

REFIBRA™ technology produces fibers with up to 50% recycled content from post-consumer trash while maintaining high-quality fibers. This innovative technology can be identified in fabrics using an innovative identification technology designed to confirm fiber origin.

Lenzing announced the first phase of the REFIBRA™ technology upgrade in September 2019, increasing the content of pulp created from upcycled cotton scraps collected during the garment manufacturing process to up to 30%.

In the second phase, Lenzing can add up to 10% of post-consumer cotton waste into the combination of recycled materials alongside pre-consumer cotton waste, among the 30% of recycled raw material content.

REFIBRA technology produces 100% bio-based fibers in an environmentally friendly closed-loop manufacturing process. The fibers also have enhanced breathability, silky smoothness, and strength as a result of superior moisture management.

Lenzing’s vision is to make textile waste recycling a common process like paper recycling.

Lenzing’s clear objective is to make fibers using REFIBRA technology using post-consumer textile waste as raw materials, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

The ability to recycle discarded clothing made of a larger variety of materials will considerably expand the raw material base for textile recycling. This discovery is a game-changer in the fight against the global problem of textile waste disposal. At the same time, it minimizes raw-material exploitation of wood and relieves pressure on global forest ecosystems.

Fabrics and outfits made from Lenzing’s proprietary materials are part of our vision. Lenzing is the first manufacturer of wood-based cellulosic fibers to offer the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) and the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), which provide complete transparency for the materials used in manufacturing.

Lenzing is the first manufacturer of wood-based cellulosic fibers to offer the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) and the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), which provide complete transparency for the materials used in manufacturing.

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Spiber | Developing synthetic spider silk from Brewed Protein

In reality, most people are not ready to pay $230 for a T-shirt or $1,375 for a parka. But this reality changed when North Face Japan launched a limited collection of Moon parka jackets on the market in 2019, which quickly sold out.

The reason was they were made of lab-made spider silk.

Spider silk, which the animals use to form webs or cocoons, has a lot of unrivalled natural properties. However, because of the cannibalistic nature of spiders, it has been impossible to mass-produce spider silk in the same way as other animal by-products.

A Japanese biomaterials company- Spiber Inc. devised a solution for recreating the material’s molecules from scratch. They chose microbial fermentation as the way for producing spider silk proteins.

Spiber developed Brewed Protein, a fermentation-derived substance that offers the strength and elasticity of silk and the softness of cashmere wool when spun into a fibre. Brewed Protein also has a characteristic that ecologically aware customers will appreciate: it is manufactured from plant sources and is biodegradable in soil and water.

In essence, they make their own DNA based on the DNA responsible for spider silk production, incorporate it into microorganisms, and then feed them nutrients in enormous tanks so they can grow and generate the protein of interest. For the initial Moon Parka prototype, a scaled-up version of this procedure was used, with commercial manufacturing equipment used to shape the proteins into strands.

Spiber started by analysing the genetic information that is responsible for protein creation in nature. Then they incorporated this DNA into a microorganism once they have constructed a strand of DNA that was believed to deliver the features required. From here, the procedure is fairly similar to the initial prototype, in which sugars and minerals are fed to the organisms so that they can develop and make the desired protein.

After the fermentation is finished, they remove the needed protein from the microbes and dry it into a pellet or powder which they called ‘Brewed Protein™’. This can then be turned into a number of other materials. In the case of a fibre, the protein powder is dissolved in a dope solution, then extruded through a nozzle and solidified into a fibre.

What is Brewed Protein™?

Brewed Protein™ refers to protein materials produced from plant-derived biomass using Spiber’s proprietary fermentation process. It can be processed into a number of forms, including fine filament fibres with a silky sheen and spun yarns with cashmere-like softness or the well-known thermal and moisture-wicking qualities of wool.

Brewed Proteins can also be processed into resins that closely resemble tortoiseshell or animal horn, thanks to Spiber’s in-house technology, which allows for the creation of compelling animal-free fur and leather alternatives. Brewed Proteins’ versatility makes them ideal for a variety of applications, from medical applications to lightweight composite materials.

Brewed Protein materials, in addition to their diversity, have a number of notable environmental advantages. Brewed Protein materials are projected to have a lower impact on marine ecosystems as compared to standard plastic materials since they are not reliant on petrochemicals as a key feedstock and do not generate or break down into ecologically persistent microplastics.

Furthermore, the unique microbial fermentation process employed in Brewed Protein manufacturing shows significant promise in terms of avoiding ethical and environmental concerns, such as the high greenhouse gas emissions connected with frequently used animal fibres.

Spiber has also set up in-house biodegradability testing and an environmental impact evaluation methodology, and are getting ready to release a life cycle assessment report once commercial manufacturing in Thailand gets underway.

Brewed Protein materials are an exciting new alternative for designers and artists aiming to build a better, more sustainable future because they combine ecologically responsible design—from the manufacturing process to the material itself—with near-endless adaptability.

Projects

Spiber successfully produced the world’s first Brewed Protein™ Moon Parka outdoor jacket in 2019 in partnership with The North Face. Again they partner to developed “The Sweater” made of Brewed Protein™, by blending it with wool.

This innovative material was also used in Japanese Couture designer- YUIMA NAKAZATO’s ‘Cosmos’ Couture Spring/Summer 2020 collection as well as Spring/Summer 2021. It was again used by YUIMA NAKAZATO in its ‘Atlas’ Couture Spring/Summer 2021 collection “EVOKE” at Haute Couture Week in Paris.

‘Atlas’ Couture Spring/Summer 2021
YUIMA NAKAZATO

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