Jackie Thompson

 

Your next purse or pair of shoes could have a lot more in common with your garden in the future, thanks to new fabrics in the works. According to Bloomberg, Natural Fiber Welding operates as a sustainable material science start-up company. After announcing its new 110,000-square-foot manufacturing space in downtown Peoria, the facility develops tech based on sustainable plant use and natural fibers to design attractive and long-lasting goods. Using hemp, waste, coconut, cork, and vegetable oil, the Illinois start-up believes that making shoes, clothes and furniture from plants and plant waste is the way to go. After all, the goal is to use plants to create sustainable materials and move the material industry away from single-use items and petroleum-derived products.

$13 Million Investment From Ralph Lauren

Natural Fiber Welding, located in Peoria and backed by Ralph Lauren, is opening the doors to a new facility that makes plant-based leather. The company decided to open the manufacturing facility on West Jefferson Avenue. The manufacturing plant will be used to make its plant-based leather product known as Mirum.

How NFW Reuses Plant Waste

Yard trimmings account for 12.1% of all municipal solid waste, and homeowners are encouraged to reuse garden waste as far as possible to help reduce the strain. Meanwhile, in industry, the more companies that are able to use plant waste in the production of their products, the lesser the burden this type of waste has for the environment. Natural Fiber Welding uses fiber welding techniques that can make natural fibers that are strong and durable, just like other synthetic options. These solid and durable materials can be used to design different commodities, such as car interiors, footwear, handbags and clothing. The start-up uses raw materials such as waste cork, hemp, coconut oil, vegetable oils, and garden waste. From this, they design a product that functions like conventional leather, except without the plastic resins, coatings or glues relied on by alternative forms of plant-based leathers.

Aim For Plastic-Free Merchandise 

The start-up aims to shift the materials industry from petroleum-derived commodities and a single-use approach. Natural Fiber Welding uses plants to design sustainable materials and yarns – for example, plant leather. The start-up makes a product known as Clarus, which turns recycled cotton into new top-performance materials. The company welds short fibers from cotton waste into longer fibers using natural molecular bonding, creating top-performance cotton yarns. This reduces fabric damage and makes the garment more durable. Designers can reuse the cotton to develop upcycled materials that outmatch synthetic fabrics and simultaneously maintain the cotton feel.

The company projects that the manufacturing facility will create 100 new jobs in 2021. The start-up also believes that the facility can eventually produce tens of millions of square feet of Mirum annually. Mirum is currently being utilized in the fashion and automotive industries. In August 2020, Ralph Lauren announced that it had made a minority investment in Natural Fiber Welding, the start-up that helps develop natural fibers’ reuse. Lauren reiterated its position on investing with partners that valued innovation as part of its sustainability strategy. Luke Haverhals founded the Natural Fiber Welding start-up in 2005. He designed the technology that would eventually become Natural Fiber Welding in 2008 as a chemist at the US Naval Academy.

Sustainability And The Eco-Friendly Approach

Fabric and fashion industries, among others, have relentlessly relied upon plastic-based synthetic materials to design durable products. For instance, various leather alternatives available in the market use oil-based goods like polyurethane and synthetics. However, Natural Fiber Welding claims that its plant technology allows natural fibers such as silk, wool, flax, cotton, and other renewable sources, to provide the same outcome from 100% natural sources.

Chicago Inno recognized Natural Fiber Welding as one of the top 21 start-ups to watch out for in 2021. This is mainly due to its unique innovation strategy to reuse plant waste to make a stronger, more durable, and eco-friendly solution. Currently, the company’s materials can be used in automobiles, furniture, shoes and clothes.

Photo by Jordan Stewart on Unsplash.

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