AlgiKnit, a biomaterials research group based in New York and North Carolina, has been developing sustainable yarns made from kelp, a type of algae. Their material research provides a low-impact option for yarns that are flexible and durable with various material applications. The yarns have undergone rigorous testing and, as a result of their natural origins, have the ability to be broken down by microorganisms and provide nutrients back to the earth. AlgiKnit’s focus on sustainable material research really is at the intersection of biology and design, developing products and materials with low environmental impact at its core.

In the current take, make, waste economy, AlgiKnit’s core focus is to develop material for circularity. They estimate that in 2021 in the US alone ‘around 25 billion pounds of textiles are produced each year,’ of which 85% are sent to landfills or incinerated. These staggering numbers only seem to increase year on year.

Furthermore, conventional methods of textile production have left our natural resources depleted. This is another aspect AlgiKnit aims to address. While considering sustainability within textiles, natural fibers might be preferable to fossil fuel-based fibers, but they still come with their own adverse ecological impacts. The cultivation of cotton, for example, degrades soil quality and results in large amounts of agrochemical run-off into surrounding areas, both of which are hugely detrimental to major ecosystems.  

Not only does AlgiKnit hope to make an impact through biodegradable materials, but by using feedstock from regenerative resources. Algae is fast becoming recognised as a valuable resource for many applications. By sourcing material components from the ocean, the negative consequences of land-based textile crops are avoided. Not only is it extremely fast-growing, but every square metre of algae extracts 20 times more carbon from the atmosphere. Algae farms in fact help replenish and restore local ecosystems, bringing life back to areas plagued by overfishing.

AlgiKnit’s mission is to remediate the harmful processes conventionally found in textile production by harnessing regenerative resources. Algae offer huge potential for biobased materials and, over the next year, AlgiKnit hopes to present an alternative and durable yarn for use across the industry, particularly footwear, accessories, and garments.

Photo: sunnyvaledave - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davelsworld/