Silk out of
the bioreactor

For synthetic fibers, petroleum is an essential raw material, albeit a finite resource. But the eco-balance of natural fibers is not beyond doubt either: a lot of water is used to grow cotton, which is lacking elsewhere. And the sheep that give us their wool pollute the environment. That’s why companies around the world are researching alternatives to traditional fibers that consistently protect the environment. To do this, they are looking for ways to efficiently extract from bioreactors the raw materials for novel fibers that can replace synthetic fibers and cotton, wool, silk, fur, or leather.

It seems that after a long period of development, the efforts are finally starting to pay off:

Spiber, for example, has already teamed up with Japanese luxury label Sacai, North American sports label Goldwin and outdoor giant NorthFace to produce various garments in small runs using fibers generated in biofermenters. Later this year, Spiber should open a factory in Thailand to allow the company to produce on an industrial scale for the first time.

While Spiber relies on biomass as the basis for the proteins in its yarns, LanzaTech synthesizes carbon into the raw materials for synthetic fibers and synthetic kerosene for aviation. What’s fascinating about this technology is that LanzaTech’s process creates new raw materials from environmental pollution. For example, a LanzaTech plant produces ethanol from the exhaust air of a steel smelter, which can then be used to make PET. LanzaTech has also had a long dry spell but is already producing in industrial quantities and has various products on the shelves, for example, packaging for L’Oréal, Unilever, or the Swiss Migros subsidiary Mibelle. In the textile industry, LanzaTech has partnered with sportswear company Lululemon to produce the first fabrics whose fibers are derived from industrial waste gases, CO2 from agriculture and households, and CO2 from the atmosphere.

These fibers open up new dimensions for a more sustainable textile industry. Not only do fibers from the bioreactor remain part of the raw material cycle, but they can also be produced in a more targeted manner, making the processing chain shorter and more environmentally friendly. Fascinating possibilities, which – when these fibers will be available for us at Le Picot – we will, of course, gladly use, because according to our slogan “Make Sense,” these technologies are beneficial.