Bacteria eating plastic produce “spider silk” material
August 1st, 2024
Genetically engineered bacteria consumed plastic to create a bio-inspired "spider silk" protein that could be spun into thread. Images: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/Dakota Pace Turning waste plastic into a valuable resource is under investigation by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), who fed it to bacteria and came up with a “bio-inspired spider silk.” The scientists […]
Is it the end of polyester (as we know it)?
July 1st, 2023
Bottle wars may not end well for fiber producers. Photo: © Evgeniy Salov, Dreamstime.com Where would we be without polyester? Fibers created from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are ubiquitous in our apparel, home furnishings, automotive, filtration and personal care industries. In 2021, they represented 57.57% of the global fiber market, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool […]
Barco hits sustainability milestone
September 1st, 2021
Barco uniform fabric incorporates five to seven plastic bottles into each garment. Lined up end to end, the 40 million plastic bottles the company has recycled would stretch approximately 4,875 miles. Photo: Barco. With record sales of its scrubs during the pandemic, health-care apparel brand Barco® has reached a sustainability milestone of 40 million plastic […]
Initiatives in textile recycling
November 1st, 2020
Circular systems could monetize textile waste while helping to save the planet. by Debra Cobb The textile sustainability landscape is changing. While textile manufacturers, brands and retailers tout their use of recycled or sustainable fibers, mountains of textile waste continue to pile up in the world’s landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in […]