Nonwovens made with recycled paper

August 1, 2022  |  Swatches

The Suominen Corporation, based in Helsinki, Finland, has introduced the market’s firstbiodegradable, plastic-free nonwovens made with recycled paper. Called Hydraspun® Circula, the product was created in cooperation with Codi Group, one of Europe’s leading wet wipe producers. Drawing from both…
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Gel extracts water from air

August 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have demonstrated a low-cost gel film that can pull many liters of water per day out of even very dry air.
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New dissolving pacemaker

August 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Northwestern University scientists have unveiled a new, smart version of the transient pacemaker introduced just one year ago. The implantable, wireless device dissolves in the body after it’s no longer needed, and now has a coordinated network of four soft, flexible, wireless, wearable sensors an…
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PANGAIA and Spiber launch

August 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Materials science company PANGAIA, based in London, England, introduced the fourth capsule within PANGAIA Lab, a limited-edition sweatshirt made in partnership with Japanese biomaterials manufacturing group Spiber Inc., featuring breakthrough biotech Brewed Protein™fibers and organic cotton. 
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Reebok’s adaptive shoes

August 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Reebok has teamed up with Zappos Adaptive to launch a sneaker collection specifically designed to empower people with disabilities. Named ‘Fit to Fit’, the adaptive footwear is envisioned for functionality and inclusivity without compromising on style. There are two sneaker models in the collect…
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Alternative leather from cows?

July 1, 2022  |  Swatches

We’ve seen all kinds of alternative leather products made from such things as mycelium, pineapple leaves, coconuts, apple waste and more. But how about an “alternative” leather product that isn’t really an alternative? It sounds odd, but VitroLabs Inc., a California-based biotech company, is…
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Color by nanocrystal

July 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Colorful fabrics are beautiful, but creating them is one of the world’s largest sources of water pollution. Textile mills have been known to dump residual dyes and hazardous chemicals into canals, streams and rivers. 
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Weaving in Wi-Fi

July 1, 2022  |  Swatches

For most of us technology becomes part of our day almost from the moment we wake up. At the Simon Fraser University School of Interactive Art and Technology (SIAT), researchers are weaving “threads” of Wi-Fi into fabric as a way of pushing boundaries to further understand how technology impacts …
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Cotton, polyester … and okra

July 1, 2022  |  Swatches

Many commercial textiles today are made of cotton and polyester blends and can be found in everything from T-shirts to canvas products. But researchers in Lahore, Pakistan, are adding a new ingredient to the list: okra. The stem waste from okra—also known as ladyfingers—is being used to create v…
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Company pays towns for used textiles

July 1, 2022  |  Swatches

The town of Bow, N.H., will soon join 17 other communities in the Northeast, in a program that pays the town to let a company pick up used clothing, textiles and shoes at people’s homes so they can be reused rather than trashed.
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