The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that an estimated one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted. But the textile industry, which accounts for 6.7 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study by Quantis International, is finding a role to play in efforts to reduce food waste.
Some companies like Circular Systems are producing natural fibers from organic waste to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. “Zero impact is just a milestone on the road to beneficial impact, which is really what we need to achieve as a species in our habitat,” says Isaac Nichelson, co-founder and CEO of Circular Systems. And Nichelson’s company is not alone.
Food Tank highlights 12 innovative companies that are turning food waste and agricultural by-products into portable, eco-friendly products. These companies aim to fight food waste, while also introducing products that they hope will create more sustainable food and fashion industries.
1. Agraloop (Circular Systems)
Agraloop, one of Circular Systems’ three innovative waste-to-fiber platforms, transforms food waste into BioFibre™, a high-quality natural material used in the fashion industry. This fiber is made from a processing technique that breaks down organic waste products, such as pineapple, banana, flax, and hemp seeds. Debuting at the 2019 Global Change Awards and featured in Vogue, Agraloop reports that this technology can help generate up to 250 million tons of fiber each year and meet more than five times the current global demand for fiber.
2. Allegory
Allegorie is a woman-owned business that produces high-quality, cruelty-free, and PVC-free accessories from discarded fruit. The company collects products such as mangoes, apples and cacti from farms and supermarkets to turn them into bags, backpacks, wallets and more. By using a combination of plant-based polymeric materials and recycled polyester, they report using 84% less energy than traditional production methods.
3.ALTEX
Toronto-based startup ALT TEX is creating a sustainable polyester alternative from food waste. Founded by businesswoman Myra Arshad and her best friend and biochemist Avneet Ghotra, the company recently raised US$1.5 million which will go directly towards commercializing the polyester-like fabric. As part of the NEXT36 Entrepreneurship Program, the startup aims to revolutionize the polyester industry by creating a sustainable fabric made from food waste that is also free of microplastics.
4. Ananas Anam
A Certified B Corporation, Ananas Anam is the developer of Piñatex, a plant-based leather made from pineapple leaf fiber waste. More than 100 brands around the world have used the company’s textile, which can be mixed with other natural materials. The company reports that the conversion of leaves, which would otherwise have been wasted, at Piñatex has prevented the release of 264 tons of carbon dioxide. Piñatex received the Arts Foundation Material Innovation Award in 2016. Publications such as the Huffington Post, WIRED, ELLE, Vogue have also featured the company’s products.
5.Bananatex
Made with fibers from the naturally grown Abacá banana plant in the Philippines, Bananatex is a 100% biodegradable and waterproof fabric developed by Swiss bag brand and material innovator QWSTION. Requiring no additional inputs like pesticides or fertilizers, the banana plant used for Bananatex is also used to help reforestation efforts in the Philippines. This circular replacement for synthetic fabrics won the Green Product Award 2019, the Design Prize Switzerland Award 2019/20, and the German Sustainability Award Design 2021.
6. Bolt threads
Bolt Threads is a material solutions company behind Mylo, a synthetic skin made from mycelium, the underground network of fungi. Producing the mycelium used to create Mylo requires mulch, air, and water, and according to the company, it takes only two weeks for the mycelium to grow. Brands like adidas, lululemon and Stella McCartney have incorporated Mylo into their product lines.
7. dessert
Founded in 2019 by Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cazarez, Mexico-based Desserto produces an alternative to leather made from nopal, also known as prickly pear. Plastic-free, cruelty-free, and requiring little water to produce, this plant-based leather is used in the automotive, fashion, and furniture industries. Deserto has recently partnered with companies such as Adidas, Mercedes Benz and BMW. They have received recognition and awards from organizations such as LVMH, Good Design Australia, Global Fashion Agenda, Architectural Digest and PETA.
8. Kombucha Haute Couture
Designed by cheesemaker Sacha Laurin, Kombucha Couture is a sustainable clothing and jewelry line produced by the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that is also used to make kombucha. Working to create a durable and versatile fabric that can serve as a replacement for leather, canvas or silk, Laurin experiments with different dry crops to create wearable garments. Featured at Sacramento Fashion Week in 2014 and featured in the Huffington Post, Kombucha Couture hopes to help define sustainable fashion.
9. Orange fiber
Using citrus juice by-products, Italian company Orange Fiber strives to produce high-quality, sustainable fabrics for apparel companies around the world. To produce their fabric, they blend a silk-like cellulose yarn that can be used alone or mixed with other yarns and materials. Orange Fiber reports that they have produced more than 15,000 meters of fabric while recycling more than 120 tons of citrus per-product. Orange Fiber has received several awards including UNECE Ideas For Change Award, MF Supply Chain Awards 2020, Elle Impact2 For Women Award.
10. QMilk
Developed by microbiologist and fashion designer Anke Domaske, QMilk is a 100% renewable and biodegradable textile fiber made from cow’s milk. Using the 2 million tons of milk that is wasted in Germany each year, QMilk works to offer a sustainable and innovative solution to food waste. Aiming to be completely zero waste, the company has received awards including the 2015 Greentech Award and the 2014 “Bio-Based Material of the Year” Innovation Award.
11. Cafe S.
Invented in 2008 by the Taiwanese functional fabric company, Singtex, S.Café is a fabric made from used coffee grounds. S.Café sources coffee grounds from Taiwan and combines them with other recycled materials to produce a quick-drying, deodorant thread. North Face, Puma and Timberland are among the clothing brands that use the brand’s materials. In recent years, S.Café received the Taiwan Excellence Award in 2016 and 2017, and the ISPO TEXTRENDS Award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018/19.
12. Vegeta
Founded in 2016 in Milan, Vegea is a technology company that produces a plant-based leather-like product made from wine waste. Derived from grape pomace, skins, stems and seeds that are generally wasted during wine production, Vegaa vegetable leather is a 100% recyclable and renewable textile. Businesses can use the leather for bags and other accessories, shoes, and clothing. Vegea has received awards and accolades, including the 2015 Start&Cup Award, the 2017 Made in Italy Innovation Award from Unicredit and the 2017 Global Change Award from the H&M Foundation.
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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Source: foodtank.com