Spiber’s groundbreaking initiative, the biosphere circulation program, presents a pioneering methodology for upcycling biobased and biodegradable textile and agricultural waste through the utilization of its proprietary fermentation technology. The primary objective of this program is to propel society towards the creation of fully circular textile products that can be regenerated into an innovative protein material known as “Brewed Protein™” at the end of their lifecycle.
Understanding the pressing need to confront the challenges we currently encounter, Spiber advocates for a collaborative approach to expedite research and development, hastening the implementation of this cutting-edge system. In support of this vision, Spiber’s long-term partners Pangaia and Goldwin have joined the program. This collaboration aims to catalyze the transition from a linear “take-make-use-dispose” model to a circular “take-make-use-reuse” model.
“PANGAIA is delighted to explore the next phase of its partnership with Spiber by joining its biosphere circulation project. At PANGAIA, we are focused on accelerating the development and broader adoption of problem-solving technologies and materials into the fashion industry. This project aligns perfectly with those goals and our research focuses by tackling one of the industry’s biggest and most complex issues – waste.” – Craig Smith, Research & Development Director at PANGAIA
The brands will support Spiber to accumulate valuable data and develop a comprehensive product design guideline that enables the decomposition of garments into biological nutrients, which can then be used as resources for production of upcycled materials. Furthermore, the brands will contribute to the advancement of product design guidelines applicable to a wide range of garment types, promoting industry-wide adoption of this sustainable approach.
As a first step, Spiber has worked with Goldwin to create a demonstration product to identify potential challenges that need to be solved in order to further develop the guideline to design a fully circular final product that the fashion industry can comply with.
Knowledge of what has been used to make products—from raw material to consumer goods—is critical for circularity at end-of-use. Accordingly, Spiber has created a demonstration webpage where users can access detailed breakdown information of materials and chemicals used to make the product. This webpage is just a glimpse into the company’s vision for building a platform to enable their circularity solution through transparent access to data to enable verification of whether a product is or is not “digestible to nutrients” at end-of-use. During the process of development, Spiber has already identified several potential challenges that the industry needs to overcome.
