This article has been published in partnership with #DifferenceMakers.
A company has successfully created technology that turns carbon emissions into fabric.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity, and with rain falling on the peak of Greenland’s ice cap for the first time in history, it is more essential than ever that we develop the technology to help save the planet.
Now, biotechnology startup Lanza Technologies has developed the tool in partnership with athletic brand Lululemon to use captured carbon emissions to create fabric and yarn, Sustainable Brands reports.
In layman’s terms, LanzaTech is creating fabric using a process similar to beer production, but they have replaced yeast and sugar with bacteria that turns industrial pollution into fuels and chemicals.
To put it more explicitly: nature-based solutions are used by LanzaTech to obtain ethanol from waste carbon sources and turn it into polyester that can be used to make clothing.
The ethanol is converted into polyester by the “green” petrochemical manufacturer India Glycols Limited (IGL) and the Taiwanese textile producer Far Eastern New Century (FENC).
LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren said, per GreenBiz: “What we’re saying is, ‘Look, we’re gonna take all of this waste, whether it’s a gas or a solid, we’re going to convert it to ethanol.’”
It may sound complicated, but you don’t have to be a scientist to understand the environmental benefits of using pollution for something other than destroying the planet!
In recycling industrial pollution, fossil fuels will remain in the ground, which will not only decrease the amount of pollution they cause, but also decrease the additional pollution caused by the creation of products like polyester.
Holmgren said: “We must radically change how we source, utilize, and dispose of carbon.
“Carbon recycling enables companies like Lululemon to continue to move away from virgin fossil resources, bring circularity to their products, and achieve their climate change goals around carbon reduction. We call this being ‘CarbonSmart’.”
Pictured below is the LanzaTech plant in Georgia.
The new technology comes in the wake of Lululemon releasing its first Impact Agenda in October 2020, which examines how the company can become more environmentally friendly in the coming years.
Ted Dagnese, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lululemon said: “We know sustainable innovation will play a key role in the future of retail and apparel, and we are excited to be at the forefront of an innovative technology.
“Our partnership with LanzaTech will help Lululemon deliver on our Impact Agenda goals to make 100 percent of our products with sustainable materials and end-of-use solutions, moving us toward a circular ecosystem by 2030.”
LanzaTech’s fabric technology also comes into play once the materials produced have reached the end of their useful life.
At this point, they can be gasified and fermented, which allows the carbon they contain to remain useful instead of polluting the environment.
“Since initially connecting LanzaTech’s Taiwanese joint-venture set up with a pilot plant in Taiwan, I believed this waste-gas-based polyester formation would be a sustainable solution for the polyester industry, Dr. Fanny Liao, the EVP of RD & BD at FENC, said.
“We are happy to team up with IGL and Lululemon to complete the supply chain for this historical project and continue working with LanzaTech towards our common goal for a better Earth.”
LanzaTech, is not just revolutionizing the production of fabric and yarn, per Sustainable Products, the company’s technology has also been used by airlines, in fragrance production, and by homecare companies.
Thankfully, LanzaTech isn’t alone in its quest to use technology to better the environment, as Difference Makers has been established to highlight organizations with this aim.
To help other companies to follow suit, Difference Makers is currently sharing inspiring stories of how technology and engineering are being used to better the planet.
You can discover more of these stories through their Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.