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10 Jan 2024
Thankfully, a whole host of innovators are dedicated to creating healthier, safer, and more environmentally conscious materials that are slowly but surely impacting industry from fashion to food. To kick off 2024, we've rounded up five innovations that are set to gain momentum this year. From the latest Spinnova offering, to plant-based insulation and an alt-leather formed by micro-organisms, these are the five materials to watch.
Launched at the Kingpins tradeshow in 2023, the new denim offering from Spinnova is the first blended denim fabric to be made with Spinnova's Cellulose-based fibre. The company's self-named fibre is derived from FSC-certified wood pulp and is produced using mechanical methods and without the use of chemicals. It is said to use significantly less water and emit significantly less CO2 compared to conventional cotton production.
The company worked with partners in the denim industry to optimise the share of Spinnova fibre in the cotton blend material. Early tests show that the Spinnova blend is able to maintain the sturdiness of 100% Cotton-based denim while also meeting the high aesthetic standards of the industry.
Key Theme: No Compromise - more sustainable materials don't automatically mean sacrificing the look and feel of what we're used to.
This Estonian packaging company recently secured EUR 2.5 million (USD 2.7 million) in funding to help scale its protective packaging material made from wasted sheep's Wool. 90% of Europe's sheep wool is burned or buried each year because it's too coarse to use in clothing. Woola's wool envelopes and bottle sleeves - designed to replace plastic bubble wrap - use this waste to protect products in transit.
The wool used for the packaging is sourced locally in Estonia, and the company works directly with farmers to agree a fair price for the feedstock. Each piece of packaging is made in the Estonian town of Paldiski, which has an autonomous renewable energy grid. The envelope is available in both a classic design and with expandable sides for bulkier items. The bottle sleeve comes in four sizes.
Key Theme: Hyper Local - sourcing and producing within one country can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of your product.
LunaForm from Gozen is a new type of biomaterial formed by the evolutionary activity of microorganisms. Inspired by the field of biomimicry, the leather alternative starts life as a series of microorganisms in a nutrient-rich environment. These organisms craft ultra-crystalline patterns that transform into a 3D super structure after the introduction of natural agents.
The result is a customisable leather-like material that can vary in thickness from 0.2mm upwards. With naturally diverse colour and texture options, the material can safely return to Earth at the end of its life and takes only seven days to produce, making it ready to scale today. Produced in 13 square foot sheets, LunaForm made its product debut with fashion house Balenciaga in October 2023 in the form of the Balenciaga LunaForm Maxi Bathrobe Coat.
Key Theme: Nature's Nutrients - the future of materials is nutrients. Materials derived from nature that return harmlessly to it at the end of their life, adding essential nutrients back into the soil in the process.
UK-based Ponda has launched BioPuff, a plant-based insulation fibre set to challenge both goose down and synthetic alternatives. The innovative lightweight material is made from a regenerative crop called typha latifolia, a plant the company is using to rebuild damaged wetlands in partnership with farmers and conservation groups.
Wetlands, such as peatlands, bogs, and fens are estimated to hold over 40% of the world's soil carbon, but they're in need of restoration to continue sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Through the practice of paludiculture - marsh-farming - Ponda is helping to regenerate the natural environments and bring truly regenerative fashion to the fore. BioPuff, which is made from extracts of the typha plant, is said to have one of the warmest fill-to-weight ratios on the market, as well as a high loft ability for structure and insulating air pockets.
Key Theme: Regenerative Design - crops that restore the land and soil are appearing across industries, helping to protect and preserve the very resource they need to grow, and businesses need to thrive.
Sparxell is replacing petroleum-based pigments with cellulose nanocrystals. The company's range of products, including films and foil, coatings, cosmetic pigments and glitter, are all made from abundant plant-based cellulose that is treated to mimic the vibrant structural colours found in nature.
Sparxell's technology extracts the core crystalline part of cellulose before dispersing it randomly in water. These crystals form a chaotic isotropic configuration in water, then transform into an ordered state when drying to create a film of densely packed crystals that reflect light and colour. By controlling the interaction between the crystals, the film can be tailor-made to match a specific appearance, after which it can be ground and shaped into glitter and sequins.
Key Theme: Every Little Counts - plastic is hiding everywhere, from the more obvious single-use bottles and bags to the coloured pigments used to decorate everything from packaging to our homes. Innovation to tackle even the smallest use cases is key to a plastic-free future.
