PROCESSING OF ALGIKNIT FIBRES IN TEXTILE INDUSTRIES

Climate change affects everyone – and the textile industry is not immune. Biomaterials research group AlgiKnit, is doing its bit for the environment by aiming to create a biomaterial alternative that serves as a replacement for everyday, man-made textiles such as polyester. Their goal is to keep fashion products from filling landfills and causing microplastic pollution.

- N.N. MAHAPATRA

Their goal is to create a sustainable BioYarn that can quickly biodegrade after its use-life is over and can be recycled through the earth’s biological systems. Chiefly, they are using alginate, a biopolymer derived from kelp, to do this. The seaweed is “rapidly replenishable and one of the fastest-growing organisms in the world”. The company is currently analysing its properties to see if the fibre is strong and flexible enough to be knitted on an industrial power machine.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters on the planet. It is also a $1.2 trillion global industry, with more than $250 billion spent annually on fashion in the United States alone, according to industry analysts. AlgiKnit’s investors include RebelBio and SOSV, although the total investment amount is undisclosed. In 2017, AlgiKnit beat 2,800 submissions to win National Geographic’sChasing Genius award in the Sustainable Planet category, receiving the $25,000 prize along with three other ventures.

The goal of AlgiKnit is to eventually replace petroleum-based materials and become a go-to zero waste fabric suitable for clothing and footwear.AlgiKnit Inc. is a biomaterials company integrating science and design into textile production. Addressing the ecological damage caused by the fashion industry, AlgiKnit is creating durable yet rapidly degradable yarns.

They aim to operate in a closed-loop product lifecycle, utilizing materials with a significantly lower environmental footprint than conventional textiles, to bring sustainable bio-based textile alternatives to the footwear and apparel industries.