More companies are looking into more sustainable materials for products, this new startup wants to create clothing from food waste.
This new startup, Circular Systems, is using materials that are waste from food consumption to create post-consumer clothing. They are using various sources such as banana peels, pineapple leaves, sugarcane bark, and plant stalks.
The best thing about their clothing options is they are incorporated with everyday style for clothing for long and multiple use. Looking at their clothing there is no distinction in a difference in fabric from other common material options.
They collect food waste from farmers to process at mini mills, to create the bio-fibers that can be processed into fabric. Through testing various designs their material is said to be comfortable with low cost. This is an important use of this resource as most food waste through crops are burned or left to rot, releasing carbon dioxide and methane gas into the air.
This new method can provide 250 million tons of wearable fiber that would otherwise be waste, while supporting extra income for the farming industry. This new development will create more jobs and can influence the textile industry to use more natural materials.
This is a much needed development for the environment as well as the fashion industry. The industry is projected to lose 3-4% of profits if it doesn’t change the supply change for more sustainable solutions. Though using natural material is nothing new but is becoming less popular in the fashion industry.
Statistics from 1960 states that 97% of fibers for clothing came from plants and animals, but has dropped to the current rate of 35%. This shift is due to the development of more synthetic fabrics that are cheaper alternatives for production.
This startup is already gaining attention from the fashion world, through their demonstration of The Future of Regenerative Fiber at the 2018 Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Circular Systems wins the 2018 Global Change Award from the H&M Foundation.
As more fashion brands use sustainable materials, more in the fashion industry are following and showing a bright future for fashion. Check out the video above for more sustainable styles.
