From Cosmos (24/2/14)…
New old top: company announces nylon shirt recycled with enzyme
An Australian startup has developed samples of a commercial garment made out of recycled nylon.
The nylon in the top has mostly (90%) been made by recycling nylon with enzymes.
Textiles present a particularly noxious problem for plastic pollution, because they’re often made of mixtures of polymers that are very difficult to recycle with conventional methods.
Much of the world’s microplastic pollution comes from textiles, and recycling usually produces lower quality products if it’s possible at all.
Researchers have been investigating enzymes that can digest plastics as an alternative recycling method. These proteins can dissolve polymers at a molecular level, allowing them to be reformed into materials that are the same or higher quality. But for now, much of the research is still in its infancy.
Australian recycling company Samsara Eco has developed a top, in partnership with activewear brand lululemon, that’s made from enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6.
