Revolutionizing Farming and Fashion
Patent pending, a new use for potato crop waste could revolutionize fashion and farming. Fibe, a material science company based in London, spun its first yarn derived from potato fibers extracted from the stems and leaves of the plants. It’s a monumental milestone for the fashion industry which has been in search of sustainable practices to minimize its footprint.
The method is also adding to regenerative options for farmers while creating increased profit potential. But, what is most exciting about potato yarn is the way Fibe has facilitated knowledge sharing across multiple sectors of industry, overlapped sciences to produce meaningful results, and built a scalable production model that could truly revolutionize the way we think about clothes.
How Was Potato Yarn Invented?
Interestingly, Fibe’s methods were born out of a university engineering project. No deadlines or investors to worry about, just students tossing around ideas on how to navigate really big issues like water pollution in the fashion industry, food waste in farming, and how to build sustainable and scalable production procedures. The result is a biological process that creates a product which can use existing textile machinery to make sustainable, durable, and biodegradable clothing.
Is Potato Yarn Sustainable?
Currently, making just one T-shirt requires 2,700 liters of fresh water, the equivalent of what one human being drinks every two and a half years. Textile production is responsible for 20% of water pollution in the world making the industry the third largest contributor to water degradation.
For every industry searching for sustainable solutions the question always is; are we just doing something different, or are we really building something better?
The genius of potato yarns is twofold. First, it takes existing waste and repurposes it into a highly demanded item; clothes. Second, it does so using less resources than current textile options. Fibe’s process, which biologically breaks down non fibrous potato plant parts and mechanically extracts and cleans the remaining fibers, uses 99.7% less water and eliminates 82% of current textile emissions.
Food waste is a major sustainability obstacle, particularly in the produce sector. The potato industry alone generates 150 million metric tons of waste every year. The stems and leaves of the potato plant are toxic to livestock and therefore unusable as animal feed. Come harvest time, only the potato itself is used while the remainder of the plant is burned off or left as waste. Until now, sustainably minded farmers haven’t had options for improving the situation.
How Scalable is Fibe’s Method?
Having to purchase new machinery in order to be a more sustainable business is daunting to any industry and farming and fashion are not exempt. Farmers often can’t afford the sizable financial investment that comes with purchasing new equipment. And, the textile industry has not shifted because, up to this point, it couldn’t be done without new yarn spinning machines to accommodate innovative fibers.
Fibe is bridging the gap for both industries. They've built their own equipment specifically designed to harvest and transport the potato crop waste. And, they’ve developed a fiber extraction process that yields a product so similar to cotton that it can utilize existing textile equipment.
Proving that potato fibers can actually be spun into yarn on existing equipment is big. It means that there will be minimal lapse in production as manufacturing facilities begin incorporating the fibers into their products. Neither farmers nor textile manufacturers have to change their methods which Fibe believes will only help their innovations gain momentum.
Potato crops already exist in abundance. No additional farmland would be needed to generate adequate supply. In fact, unlike other commodities, potatoes can be grown just about anywhere in the world and some countries have more than one growing season. Fibe is tapping into a ready made, renewable resource to meet the growing consumer demand for quality eco friendly clothes. Their long term goal is to apply the same biochemistry to other renewable resources. If they can do it with potato plant waste, they can do it with just about any agricultural waste.
The leading producers of cotton are India ,China and the United States. Interestingly, the leading producers of potatoes are also India, China and the United States suggesting that the introduction of potato yarn wouldn’t significantly disrupt national economies that depend on the textile industry. It also means that existing supply chains could remain operational; a huge component of ensuring that Fibe’s process is scalable.
Will People Want to Buy Clothes Made From Potato Yarn?
As for the fashion industry, Fibe has consulted experts throughout the process. They understand that if the fabric doesn’t meet industry needs, it will never be adopted in a way that results in substantial change. A shirt might be sustainably made, but if it doesn’t hold up, isn’t comfortable to wear, and only adds to pollution at the end of its life, then it's not really a viable solution.
Potato yarn has so far been deemed similar to other seed fibers like linen and cotton in terms of comfort and durability which puts it in a more luxurious category than other synthetic options. It is versatile and can be used for lightweight clothes or blended and woven to construct sturdier garments.
Naturally decomposing clothes is an alluring concept for manufacturers and consumers. Currently, only 1% of clothes are recycled. Most are burned in a waste facility or take hundreds of years to fully decompose. Clothes made from potato yarn would have a different end of life. Their decomposition wouldn’t leave behind any toxic residue.
How Soon Can You Buy A New Shirt?
Fibe is aiming for commercial production of clothing as early as 2027. Their next objectives are to insert themselves strategically into existing supply chains by finding ideal locations for additional processing facilities. Already a handful of big companies have stepped in to act as investors. The collective investment signals not only a belief in the potential of Fibe’s innovations, but a willingness on the part of the textile industry to truly put it to the test in their own production plants and with their own customer base.
From the beginning, Fibe has welcomed questions and expert insights from the industry representatives who are essential to their progress. A large part of their momentum stems from how hard they have worked to understand the full scope of supply chain dynamics, the obstacles and needs in both textile production and farming, and the trickle down effect decisions made in both industries have on the environment. Their collaborative efforts are just as impressive as their technical advancements.
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