Nanollose Develops Garment Made From Coconut Waste
Australian biomaterials company Nanollose Ltd has developed a wearable garment made using its Tree-Free Viscose fibre, Nullarbor, produced from sustainable coconut waste.
The sweater marks a development in the search for alternatives to conventional viscose and cotton, both of which have significant environmental impacts.
Nanollose said its fibre was produced by using microbes to ferment liquid waste from the food industry into cellulose, which is then processed into fibre. The company said the material can be spun into yarn and made into fabric using existing textile manufacturing equipment.
According to Nanollose, conventional viscose production requires trees to be harvested and processed with chemicals to extract cellulose. Its Tree-Free fibre, by contrast, uses waste as the raw material without requiring trees.
The company said its cellulose production process requires significantly less land, water and energy than conventional cotton production, with a production cycle of around 18 days compared with approximately eight months for cotton.
Nanollose Executive Chairman Wayne Best said the development demonstrates that waste can be converted into clothing using existing industrial processes and represents a step towards commercialising the company’s fibre technology.
The company is developing a supply chain around waste generated by Indonesia’s coconut industry, along with other potential waste streams, with plans to scale up fibre production and establish commercial partnerships with textile and apparel manufacturers.
