Revolutionizing the textile industry? The answer lies in ‘human hair’

Background

Nowadays, textile is indispensable as textiles are used for many applications and in a broad range of sectors. Helaas is de textielindustrie bekend als de op één na meest vervuilende industrie. Deze industrie produceert jaarlijks 1,2 miljard ton broeikasgasemissies, verbruikt jaarlijks 80 miljard kubieke meter water en is verantwoordelijk voor water- en microplasticvervuiling.

Major emissions can mainly be traced back to raw material usage and transportation for both synthetic (e.g. polyester) and natural fibers (e.g. wool). Therefore, there is a need for a sustainable alternative that will revolutionize the textile industry. De oplossing ligt in mensenhaar, aangezien het 95% van dezelfde sterke keratinevezel bevat als wol. Op deze manier kunnen de sterke eigenschappen van wolstoffen worden behouden, maar zonder veroudering en met een ecologische voetafdruk van nul wat betreft grondstofgebruik. Bovendien is deze afvalstroom overvloedig aanwezig, wat het een uitstekende grondstof maakt. Daarom zou mensenhaar de revolutie in de textielindustrie in gang kunnen zetten.

Objective and Quality of the Cooperation

The applicants, Human Material Loop (HML) and EE Exclusives, aim to co-develop textile fabrics made of human hair-based yarn. Deze stoffen zijn niet afhankelijk van op fossiele brandstoffen gebaseerde vezels en zijn daarom zeer duurzaam. Dit zal worden bereikt door het ontwikkelen van het keratine-extractie- en filamentgaren- en weefproces, dat nog niet is onderzocht voor filamentgaren.

The resulting woven prototypes are applicable for a broad range of textile products when converted to a suitable fabric. Furthermore, HML and EE Exclusives are complementary to one another since the collaboration is necessary for the development of human hair-based textiles. Through knowledge and expertise regarding material knowledge and yarn- and weaving processes, the parties are able to efficiently produce textile fabrics in the most sustainable way.

Technological Innovation

There have already been many companies that wanted to bring the textile revolution in motion with so-called next generation materials. Deze materialen zijn niet-plastic en niet-synthetisch, en dienen daarom als een duurzame en ethische alternatieve voor huidige traditionele stoffen.

However, the big disadvantages are the capital-intensive machinery and the lack of supply, increasing the cost price of these materials. In contrast, for the innovative product in this project, material developments are designed for already existing machinery. Moreover, the feedstock is abundantly present and readily available. Altogether, making this product the most circular solution, while retaining high performance qualities.

Economic Value

If the applicants are able to realize the intended developments, the intended yields are high. After five years, the estimated yield is 410.000 euros. The developments within this project lead to a future long-term partnership for the applicants, whereby after the end of the project the knowledge and expertise will remain inside the consortium. This could lead to advanced projects in the future.

For the South Netherlands region, the activities contribute to entrepreneurship and stimulate the innovation and economy of the South Netherlands in this field of expertise. For end users, textile companies further down the chain, the innovative product will lead to a stronger competitive position. The innovative product will have the same strong quality as wool, but without animal cruelty. Moreover, it contains no chemicals and the fabric will receive ECO labels. Therefore, the sale of this product will attract customers who are eager to buy sustainable textile products.

Alignment with Knowledge and Innovation Agenda’s (KIA’s)

The project has a large potential social impact, because the project results in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, water- and microplastic pollution and the human hair waste stream. The developments within this project are therefore specifically in line with three important KIA’s:

1. KIA 1: Energy and Sustainability
2. KIA 5: Key Technologies
3. KIA 6: Social Earning Capacity