Potato starch

BioFabric

The project focuses on creating products that replace non-renewable materials like synthetic textiles and leather which cannot be recycled and are toxic to the environment and health with renewable biomaterials. One-third of all polymer fibres end up in the ecosystem. It is time we start designing for this outcome. 311 million tons of plastics were produced in 2014 and that number is projected to more than double by 2050. Just 5% of plastics are recycled. Recycling alone is not mitigating the problem. The carbon footprint alone is massive. We need materials that would degrade after use without polluting the environment.

Making process

These bio-fabric bags are made of glycerine, gelatine, potato starch, and water. The use of natural dyes, that also play a major role in the properties of the biomaterial. Butterfly pea tea created a vibrant blue shade, and turmeric powder produced a warmer orange colour. The patterns on the bag were created with leftover dyes. The biomaterial was layered with cheesecloth and cotton threads and was left to dry in the sun for 3-4 days, the result is a flexible fabric-like material.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.