5 Foods That Can Now Be Turned Into Clothing
We're living in a technology age where even the simplest food item in your fridge can be turned into a piece of clothing. Let's just call it the breakfast-to-boots revolution.
Thanks to some seriously innovative production teams, we're seeing a whole new world of sustainable fashion emerging. These teams are paving the future of fashion with their deliciously smart and resourceful creations.
With the production of traditional leather leaving such a big carbon footprint, it's refreshing to see the rise of these new, innovative and environmentally friendly materials.
But, which foods from your fridge are they turning into fabric?
Piñatex is the sustainable superhero of the fashion industry. Not only is it 100% biodegradable, but it's also made from pineapple leaf fibers, which means it's giving new life to a product that could have been tossed in the bin. And get this - because it uses waste from the pineapple plant, it doesn't require any extra resources like water, fertilisers or pesticides, and it certainly doesn't demand more land to be farmed. Plus, it's providing much-needed income for farmers in countries where pineapples grow.
The next alternative leather might just come from an unlikely source - mushrooms. That's right, you heard it here first, mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, is making its way into the fashion world in the form of Mylo (mushroom leather) - a sustainable and stylish alternative to traditional leather. The innovative team at Bolt Threads have also developed how to grow mycelium in a green and clean vertical farming facility powered entirely by renewable energy.
Coconut
There's a new leather alternative in town, and it's coming from coconuts. Coconut leather is not only stylish and has a close resemblance to its bovine counterpart, but it's also eco-friendly. Upcycling waste products from the coconut industry, this leather is all about sustainability, although not as durable as the other innovative leathers (but give it time).
Apple leather is not only a sustainable alternative, but it's also cruelty-free, biodegradable and eco-friendly. And let's not forget the fact that it's made from apple waste from the fruit industry. A completely luxurious and durable material.
Banana
Move over cotton, there's a new fabric we all need to wrap ourselves in. Banana fabric may sound like something you could only find on a tropical island, but it's actually made from the fibrous peels and stems of the fruit - using a similar process to hemp production. Who knew that bananas were so multi-talented? From smoothie ingredients to crafting material, this versatile fruit continues to surprise us.
Images from Pinterest & Canva