EcoaTEX
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of the environment after the oil industry and is significantly responsible for the current state of global carbon emissions. Synthetic textiles, animal, and faux/vegan leathers like vinyl will negatively impact the environment and human health for hundreds of years since their production requires toxic chemicals, and there is no natural process to break them down. Currently, many clothing items are also made with materials that are toxic and are not biodegradable.
EcoaTEX creates sustainable alternatives to leather, synthetic fibers, and textiles. They address the major problems concerning water, energy, and chemical use in textile manufacturing by eliminating toxic chemicals, using less water and energy, and reducing the water pollution normally created in textile production. They solve a two-fold problem with the agriculture and textile/fashion industries. Their materials are made from agricultural waste, which would otherwise be discarded or burned, using nanotechnology while being fully circular and biodegradable. Their unique “leather” and fiber raw materials, made from United States farmers’ agricultural waste, use nanotechnology to mimic the performance of animal/synthetic leather and cellulosic fibers. Their materials are biodegradable, not petroleum-based, and use zero toxic chemicals with no microplastic release.