The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that about one-third of all the food made worldwide is wasted.
A study by Quantis International found that the textile industry is responsible for 6.7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, the textile industry is finding a way to help reduce food waste.
Some businesses, like Circular Systems, make natural fibers from organic waste to lessen their environmental impact.
“Zero impact is just a step on the way to beneficial impact,” says Isaac Nichelson, co-founder ,and CEO of Circular Systems. “Beneficial impact is what we need to achieve as a species in our habitat.” And Nichelson’s business isn’t the only one.
Neha Textile is highlighting 5 innovative companies that are making eco-friendly, wearable products out of food waste and agricultural byproducts. These companies want to stop food waste, and they are also making products that they hope will make the food and fashion industries more sustainable.
1. Agraloop (Circular Systems)
Agraloop is one of the three innovative waste-to-fiber platforms made by Circular Systems. It turns food waste into BioFibreTM, a high-quality natural material used in the fashion industry. This fibre is made from a process that breaks down pineapple, banana, flax, and hemp seeds, which are all organic waste products. Agraloop says that this technology, which made its debut at the 2019 Global Change Awards and was written about in Vogue, can help make up to 250 million tonnes of fibre each year and meet more than five times the current global fibre demand.
2. Allegorie
Allegorie is a company run by women. They make accessories out of discarded fruits that are high quality, don’t hurt animals, and don’t contain PVC. The company gets fruit and vegetables from farms and grocery stores, like mangos, apples, and cacti, to make bags, backpacks, wallets, and more. They say that by using polymers made from plants and recycled polyester, they use 84 percent less energy than with traditional methods.
3. ALTTEX
A company in Toronto called ALT TEX is using food waste to make a sustainable alternative to polyester. The company was started by businesswoman Myra Arshad and her best friend, biochemist Avneet Ghotra. They just raised $1.5 million, which will be used to bring the polyester-like fabric to market. As part of the NEXT36 Entrepreneurship Program, the startup wants to change the polyester industry by making a sustainable fabric from food waste that is also free of microplastic
4. Ananas Anam
Ananas Anam is a Certified B Corporation that makes Piatex, a plant-based leather made from waste pineapple leaf fibres. The company’s textile, which can be mixed with other natural materials, has been used by more than 100 brands all over the world. The company says that making Piatex from leaves that would have been thrown away has kept 264 tonnes of carbon dioxide from going into the air. In 2016, the Material Innovation Award from the Arts Foundation went to Piatex. The company’s products have also been featured in the Huffington Post, WIRED, ELLE, and Vogue.
5. Bananatex
Bananatex is a 100% biodegradable and waterproof fabric made from the fibres of the Abacá banana plant, which grows naturally in the Philippines. It was made by the Swiss bag company QWSTION, which is also a leader in new materials. The banana plant used to make Bananatex doesn’t need extra things like pesticides or fertilisers, so it is also used to help reforest the Philippines. This circular alternative to synthetic fabrics won the German Sustainability Award Design 2021, the Design Prize Switzerland Award 2019/20, and the Green Product Award 2019.
