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This collection features a selection of inspiring examples of the circular economy, compiled in the context of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme (SWITCH).

Launched in 2020, SWITCH is a five-year initiative that assists EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: [Plastic Packaging](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=111), [Textile & Garments](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=99), and ICT and Electronics.

The overall objective of SWITCH is to support the “transformation towards a circular economy”, and to contribute to sustainable growth, low carbon and climate resilient development, decent jobs creation, and a safer, healthier and pollution-free environment.

SWITCH is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, and implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy, and the European Investment Bank.
Learn more at www.switchtocircular.eu

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Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains

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Starter Kit collection

Business case

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Using bio-based materials such as bioplastics, mushroom-based materials, etc.

Alternative bio-based materials and inputs

VISION:
Raw materials are renewable, recyclable and safe, kept in continual circulation.

DETAIL:
Imagine a time when…the raw materials that are used to make things are sourced from existing products and regenerative agriculture, via carbon negative and climate neutral processes. Biodegradable raw materials are used for products with biodegradable end routes. Toxic chemicals have been washed out of the global materials pool, disposed of safely and replaced with beneficial alternatives. Virgin fibres made from fossil fuels have been banned, while secondary synthetic fibres, derived from what was already in the system, are kept in constant circulation as a resource. Circularity accounting methods, built on science-based metrics, help to manage a balanced system of resources, across all industries, and in line with the planet’s environmental limits.

Raw Materials and Planetary Boundaries

VISION:
Products and services are designed for multiple use and material value retention, with maximum positive impact.

DETAIL: 
Imagine a time when…products flow via optimal collection and distribution streams into reusable and repairable product platforms. Reuse and access models are dominant, and products are designed for multiple recirculation before biodegrading (if designed to do so), or being broken down into reusable raw materials for production. People only consume what they need. Production and consumption wastes have been fully eliminated and multifunctional, season-less and timeless fashions are the norm, yet still fulfil our human need for expression and creativity without constraint. All business models, organisations, governments and citizens play a role in maintaining a healthy, functioning circular ecosystem.

Products and Services

Consumables are a diverse and complex group of products - such as mobile phones, refrigerators, clothing, cleaning agents, personal care products and paints - that generally have short to medium lifetimes in society. Textiles including clothing also consume many different kinds of resources such as cotton, synthetic materials like polyester, dye pigments, and chemicals.




Consumables

- Use bio-plastic
- Use less plastic
- Use less chemicals

Saving: 0.96 Gt emissions and 2.50 Gt material use

👚📺 Chemicals free

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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The framework consists of 21 complementary interventions, across six scenarios - one for each of the six societal needs we model. These interventions can mitigate climate impact by curbing GHG emissions

Note: interventions are currently focused on:
- 🏠 Housing 
- 🍎 Nutrition
- 🚗 Mobility
- 👚📺 Consumables
- 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Healthcare
-  🔊 Communication

These 21 interventions are spread across six societal needs and wants, with a set of solutions. Within these solutions are strategies on ’how to get there'.  

The framework moves beyond incremental action and provides solutions that will require behavioral change (dietary shifts towards less meat consumption, for example) and the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies in the industry to mitigate emissions in hard-to-abate sectors (such as steel manufacturing). It illustrates how continued globalisation can benefit from the uptake of digital solutions. The combined interventions showcase the mitigation potential that begins where the current country pledges end; illustrating the additional impact our interventions can bring to the NDCs. In short, the interventions provide input for a more profound fundamental transformation than the more current pathways that make up the vast majority of NDCs. 

Together, the combined interventions can almost double the current global Circularity Metric of 8.6%, bringing it to 17%. 

This results in:
• Shrinking global material use and extraction by 28%. 
• Cutting global GHG emissions by 39%—fully closing the Emissions Gap as defined in our report and taking into account the updated NDCs.
• Allowing the world to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping at 1.5-degrees of warming by 2032.

*This framework was developed in the Circularity Gap Report 2021. Read more about it [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/resources/circularity-gap-report-2021)*






Global Circularity Gap Report

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An intervention-based framework for nations and stakeholders working towards circular countries

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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  Deep Science Meets High Design                                Magical thinking meets radical intention. This is a mission that never compromises what's possible for what's easy or accepts the old way as the only way.Enter the Mylo consortium — a group of world-class companies investing in meaningful material innovation.Intentionally selected for their exceptional product quality, impactful global reach, and proven commitments to innovation and sustainability, these companies are coming together, across competitive lines, to help create a more sustainable future for fashion.       The Mylo consortium is adidas, Kering, lululemon, and Stella McCartney. Mylo products are on the way.       STELLA’S JOURNEY WITH MYLO          Stella McCartney has never settled for the status quo. A visionary whom Vogue once called “fashion’s conscience,” Stella redefines luxury by never using animal leather, skin, fur, or feathers in her collections. As one of the first designers to ever use Mylo in her studio, the pioneering designer has been instrumental in bringing Mylo to life.  
      “   I believe the Stella community should never have to compromise luxury and design for sustainability, and Mylo makes that a reality.         Stella debuted the first-ever Mylo garments in March 2021, which were worn by actress and environmentalist Paris Jackson in a Vogue exclusive feature. The bustier top and utilitarian trousers were handcrafted from panels of Mylo laid on recycled nylon scuba at the brand’s atelier in London. This peek into the design process shows the promise of Mylo, symbolizing a new era of sustainable fashion ushered in by innovative partnerships.      
         In April 2021, adidas debuted the Stan Smith Mylo™, the first-ever shoe made from Mylo. To showcase the future of material innovation, adidas chose to use Mylo in one of the most iconic sneakers of all time, the Stan Smith. This reimagined classic enables adidas to quickly scale Mylo through a globally beloved silhouette, paving the way for a better future while paying homage to their heritage. The outer upper, perforated 3 stripes, heel tab overlay, and premium branding are all made with Mylo, and the midsole of the shoe is made with natural rubber to unlock a more sustainable future.  
      “   This is larger than sports, this is for our future.      — adidas Annual Report 2020         More than a global leader in the sporting goods industry, adidas has been a longstanding pioneer in using eco-innovative materials to minimize its environmental impact. The brand has proven its commitment to sustainability through innovative partnerships and material exploration. As a consortium member, adidas has provided critical feedback in the development process to help give Mylo the strength and performance it demonstrates today.      
    MYLO IN PRACTICE WITH LULULEMON          In July 2021, lululemon revealed the world's first yoga accessory collection leveraging the high-quality feel and utility of Mylo. The capsule collection includes a concept yoga mat made entirely from undyed Mylo. The first product to use Mylo in an application beyond those traditionally occupied by animal or synthetic leather, the Mylo yoga mat experiments with varying, woven patterns to guide the placement of hands and feet during a yoga practice.  
      “   Leveraging a material like Mylo demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthier environment through lower-impact products…     — Sun Choe, lululemon Chief Product Officer         The collection also includes a Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag and Barrel Duffel Bag, which feature premium embellishments made from Mylo throughout, including intricately braided handles and zipper pulls. These inventive applications and construction techniques demonstrate lululemon’s continued innovation in sustainable product design and Mylo’s potential to reinvent products beyond fashion. The bags will be available for purchase in 2022.      
  

 Earlier this year, Mylo™ began making headlines in the fashion industry, but the potential of this inventive new material doesn’t stop with traditional leather products. As we work towards a more sustainable future, it’s time we reimagine the materials we use as part of our wellness routines. 
In July 2021, Mylo consortium partner, lululemon, revealed the world’s first yoga accessories made with Mylo. The capsule collection demonstrates the brand’s continued dedication to sustainability through the use of innovative materials in products to serve on a path to wellness. 
The capsule collection includes the Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag and Barrel Duffel Bag. Leveraging the refined finish and versatility of Mylo, the bags use Mylo in premium embellishments throughout, including intricately woven handles and braided zipper pulls. Designed to accommodate personal essentials on a daily commute, the bags will be available for purchase in early 2022.
The collection also includes a concept yoga mat made entirely from Mylo. As Mylo is made from mycelium, the underground root-like structure of mushrooms, this innovative material application is particularly fitting as an essential tool to ground the body during yoga. The Mylo yoga mat experiments with varying woven patterns to complement the placement of hands and feet. The design is inspired by the brand’s popular Take Form Mat, which includes 3D zoned alignment patterns.  

 One of the first designers to ever use Mylo in her studio, Stella has been instrumental in bringing the material to life and providing invaluable feedback to help evolve it into the high quality leather alternative it is today. These garments symbolize a new era of sustainable fashion ushered in by innovative partnerships between deep science and high design. While these garments are not currently available for sale, they demonstrate the potential of Mylo and pave the way for future commercial offerings.
Since the beginning, Stella has broken the luxury fashion mold by never using animal leather, skin, fur or feathers in her collections. Her innovative approach to luxury and advocacy for sustainable materials in the industry makes her the perfect partner in designing a better future with Mylo. The leather alternative is made from infinitely renewable mycelium, the underground latticework of fungi that provides nutrients to surrounding plants and trees. The scientists at Bolt Threads have developed a state-of-the-art process to grow and process mycelium into a material that is soft, supple, and completely animal-free.
As a consortium partner, Stella has continued to work with material samples and provide critical feedback during the development process to help give Mylo an unmistakable resemblance to leather with a low environmental impact. These pieces are a peek into the design process and what’s to come from Stella and the rest of the consortium in 2021. 

 We envision a world where we don’t have to deplete or pollute our forests, oceans, and rivers to benefit from nature’s secrets.
The manufacturing of textiles is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. Bolt makes a difference by evolving the very way we make materials to benefit both, people and the environment. By re-engineering the entire process, from inputs through the end of life, we aim to reduce the long-term environmental impact of materials and create a better world. 

 Adidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon and Gucci's parent company Kering have teamed up to invest in a novel material called Mylo, which is grown from mycelium but rivals the look and feel of animal leather. As part of a newly established business consortium, the brands have each agreed to spend seven-figure sums to help level up the production capabilities of Mylo's inventor, US biotechnology company Bolt Threads.
The plan is to create a supply chain for the vegan leather, which would allow it to be manufactured at a commercially viable scale. Mylo is a leather alternative made by biotechnology company Bolt Threads"What we are trying to do with Mylo is scaling it beyond where biomaterials have been – relegated to one-offs or museum pieces – and instead making it a material that millions and tens of millions of people can wear every day," Bolt Threads vice president of product development Jamie Bainbridge told Dezeen.
According to Bainbridge, the consortium represents the largest joint development agreement to-date that is aimed at introducing a biomaterial to the mass market.
The material is made from mycelium, the root structure mushrooms and other fungiAfter a number of brands and even entire fashion weeks have gone fur-free in recent years, vegan leather could be the next step. As an animal byproduct, it doesn't just emit greenhouse gases and consume finite natural resources through the rearing of livestock, it also causes environmental pollution through the tanning and dying process.
In return for their investment, the four brands in the Mylo consortium will have exclusive rights to use Bolt Thread's mycelium-based alternative, with the first products expected to hit shelves in 2021.
The hope is that this initial investment will eventually allow Mylo to be produced at a similar speed and efficiency as other mass-market materials, in order to make it affordable even for smaller companies.
        
"In our current stage, we are dependent on large brands to help subsidise the massive costs it takes to figure out how to make Mylo at a commercial scale," said Bainbridge.
"These companies are enabling us to develop a process that will eventually produce a high-quality leather alternative at a comparable price to leather hide but that's going to take a few years."
Mylo can mimic the look and feel of real leatherThe consortium is made up of a strategic mix of luxury and sportswear brands, in a bid to showcase that a novel, bio-based material can live up to the high aesthetic and performance standards that are inherent in these industries.
According to Bolt Threads, Mylo can replicate the look and feel of real leather across a range of colours and textures and can be made into everything from shoes to bags and jackets.
The material is grown from mycelium cells over the course of two weeksThe material's core ingredient is mycelium, the thread-structure that mushrooms and other fungi use to grow, much like the roots of a tree.
These mycelium cells are fed with sawdust and other organic material and placed on square growing mats. In a humidity- and temperature-controlled environment, they are allowed to grow into a foamy layer – "imagine a big bag of smashed marshmallows" – and finally harvested.
After further processing, the material resembles a thin sheet of corkThrough further processing, this mycelium network is turned into a sheet of material that resembles cork but is much thinner and more flexible, which is then tanned and dyed by the same tanneries that work with animal leathers.
These processes normally involve harmful chemicals such as chromium, which can lead to wastewater pollution and knock-on health effects for workers. Bainbridge claims Bolt Threads only work with companies that have been awarded global sustainability certifications.
"Mylo is free of highly hazardous chemicals and substances such as DMF (dimethylformamide) and chromium, some of the most noxious chemicals used in animal and synthetic leather," he said.
This is then dyed and tanned by leather tanneries to create different colours and finishesCompared to animal leather, the company claims that the process of producing the material emits fewer greenhouse gases while consuming less water and natural resources than are involved in the rearing of livestock.
Unlike synthetic leather alternatives, it also does not use any petroleum-based plastics such as polyurethane or PVC, which emit carbon as they are produced and will take hundreds of years to break down in landfills.
        
Bainbridge said an independent lifecycle analysis of the material will be undertaken in 2021.
This means that at the moment, there is no publicly available data to verify how much carbon is emitted and how many resources consumed during the process of making Mylo and how the material will impact the environment when it is ultimately disposed of.
Mylo products are predicted to hit shelves in 2021Longtime Bolt Threads collaborator Stella McCartney has created a special edition of her iconic, chain-trim Falabella bag from the material. Although never made commercially available, the one-off piece was put on display as part of the V&A's Fashioned from Nature exhibition in 2018.
The designer was also involved in the development of another one of Bolt Threads' materials, lab-grown spider silk used to create a biodegradable tennis dress in collaboration with Adidas. 

California

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Bolt Threads is a material solutions company. They are using nature as inspiration, inventing scaleable cutting-edge materials to build a more sustainable future. 

Bolt Threads 

<p>Mylo is a sustainable leather alternative created by the pioneering scientists and engineers at Bolt Threads. Made from mycelium, the complex thread structure that allows fungi to grow, comparable to tree roots, Bolt Threads have created a soft, supple material free of harmful chemicals usually used in leather production. It is a high-quality alternative for animal and synthetic-based leather that has the potential to become commercially viable.</p>

Mylo™ by Bolt Threads: leather from mushrooms

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This collection has been built by a community of passionate researchers, students, and industry professionals as part of <a href="https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/" target="_blank">World Circular Textiles Day</a> (WCTD). 


World Circular Textiles Day takes place every year on 8th October.  Our vision is to galvanise the collective ambitions and goals of people, organisations and businesses to reach a fully circular textiles world by 2050. Our mission is to provide a framework for circularity stakeholders to develop and deliver a collaborative, evolving roadmap and to chart circularity’s momentum annually from the 8th of October until 2050.

What does fully circular by 2050 mean?
- Shared textile resources, in the form of products and raw materials, are kept in **continual circulation**.
- Virgin resources are **replaced with circular materials**.
- Dignity, equity, and equality for the **people** involved in all parts of the circular value chain.

We need to know where we stand today to chart how to get to 100% Circularity by 2050. What circular activity is currently happening in the textiles and apparel industry, and where in the world is it happening? The WCTD Collection aims to answer this question by building the world’s largest digital library of circular textiles case studies. 

World Circular Textiles Day is proud to be supported by our 2022-23 Circular Hero Partners:
[Lenzing](https://www.lenzing.com/), [Texaid](https://retailsolutions.texaid.com/), [Bank & Vogue](https://www.bankvogue.com/), [Usha yarns limited](https://ushayarns.com/), [The Conduit](https://www.theconduit.com/), and [Asia Pacific Rayon](https://www.aprayon.com/en/)

## Want to contribute to the WCTD Collection? Sign up and add your circular textiles activities.





World Circular Textiles Day

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Scalability

Designing products that can easily breakdown and degrade in the environment

Design for bio-degradability

Designing products to resist damage and wear, and serve a long and useful life.

Design for physical durability

If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of fashion, you probably spend some time reading garment tags to find out what your clothes are made of. When looking at labels, it doesn’t take a magnifying glass to notice that one fabric comes up more than most: polyester. Today, we’ll investigate and answer the question: how sustainable is polyester? When did polyester first arrive on the scene? Polyester fabric hasn’t been around forever. Our grandparents were clothed in plant- and animal-based materials such as wool, linen, and cotton. By the end of World World II, the latter accounted for over 80% of fibre consumed. Chemical advances in the 1940s introduced artificial fibres and so began a gradual shift away from cotton, turning towards cheaper and faster textile production methods. Nowadays, polyester dominates the clothing industry, with annual production exceeding 52 million metric tonnes worldwide. So what exactly is polyester? The term ‘polyester’ describes a category of polymers produced by mixing ethylene glycol (derived from petroleum) and terephthalic acid.  Chemical jargon aside, polyester is a common plastic with a wide range of applications extending beyond the fashion industry. It ranks third behind polyethylene (packaging and water bottles) and polypropylene (ropes, stationary, and Australian bank notes) as the most commonly used plastic. Polyester is not biodegradable The majority of polyesters are not biodegradable, meaning that the polyester fabric shirt you bought last season will not decompose for 20 years at best and 200 years at worst. What’s more, polyester is partially derived from petroleum, and the oil manufacturing industry is the world’s largest pollutant. Polyester dyes are not sustainable Ever notice how polyester fabrics are stain-resistant? That’s because it takes a special kind of dye to colour polyester successfully. These dyes, known as disperse dyes, are insoluble in water. Like polyester, they are made up of a complex molecular structure that does not readily decompose. Wastewater from textile factories containing leftover dye is difficult to treat. When it enters the environment, its toxicity causes serious problems to local plant and animal life. In addition to causing environmental problems, polyester dyes are toxic to humans. Dye workers worldwide report higher incidences of cancers and lung disease than the general population. Polyester manufacturing is water-thirsty Polyester is created through an energy-intensive heating process and requires large quantities of water for cooling. If not managed properly, this can result in groundwater levels dropping and reduced access to clean drinking water, particularly in vulnerable communities where polyester is often manufactured.  What about recycled PET plastic?  In the past few years, the sustainable fashion sphere has been introduced to recycled PET plastic, which has become a ‘sustainable’ replacement for polyester fabrics. Recycled PET plastic is usually made from recycled plastic bottles. Buying recycled PET plastic means that you’re minimising waste and cutting out the fossil fuel industry. Be careful with fleeces, though. Studies have shown that plastic microfibres are polluting waterways at an alarming rate and that fleece made from recycled PET plastic may be more polluting than its original form. More on those microfibres Multiple studies have shown that synthetic fibres make up a good share of microplastics found in waters and are widely implicated as the source of pollution. It’s been suggested that more than 4,500 fibres can be released per gram of clothing per wash, according to the Plastic Soup Foundation. Microfibres are so tiny they can easily move through sewage treatment plants. They do not biodegrade and bind with molecules from harmful chemicals found in wastewater. They are then eaten by small fishes and plankton, concentrating toxins and going up the food chain until they reach us. The consequences of microfibres on the human body have yet to be researched and revealed. Until then, here are our top tips on dealing with microfibres in clothing. What can we do to dress more sustainably?   Look for garments made from more eco-friendly materials, like organic cotton, hemp, or Tencel, or from reused, upcycled, and recycled materials and coloured using natural dyes. Choose well, buy less. Even garments made with natural fibres have ethical issues. Cotton is one of the thirstiest and dirtiest fabrics, and the wool industry has sometimes been criticised for unethical practices. By choosing well and buying less, you help discourage the unsustainable over-production of fibres at a cost to the environment and the world’s most vulnerable people. Buy from second hand and charity shops. An even better alternative to buying fewer new things is buying more pre-loved garments from second hand stores. Since polyester garments are both common and durable, you will find plenty of options in thrift shops that show few signs of wear and tear and will stand the test of time. Wash less and wash better. Solutions are starting to appear to avoid microfibre shedding during washing, such as special laundry bags and laundry balls. You can also wash on cold, with a fuller load, and using liquid detergent to reduce shedding—and line-drying is always a better option for the environment and your clothes! Choose brands with policies that protect and respect the planet and the people making their products. Good On You helps you uncover brands that perform better on the issues you care about. Check out the app or Directory to discover brands that tick all your boxes. 

    The Countdown to Unleather Starts Now. Learn More           We study silk proteins spun by spiders to determine what gives them their incredible properties.      We develop proteins inspired by these natural silks by using bioengineering to put genes into yeast.      We produce the protein in large quantities through fermentation, using yeast, sugar, and water.      We isolate and purify the silk protein, then spin it into fibers, similar to those like rayon and acrylic.      We knit these fibers into fabrics and garments.           Our very first collaboration with designer Stella McCartney, a shift dress made with Microsilk fabric, was unveiled at the New York MoMA in October 2017.         Our very first collaboration with designer Stella McCartney, a shift dress made with Microsilk fabric, was unveiled at the New York MoMA in October 2017.          We teamed up with Best Made Co. to develop a limited edition iconic knit hat made from a blend of rambouillet wool and Microsilk fiber.         We teamed up with Best Made Co. to develop a limited edition iconic knit hat made from a blend of rambouillet wool and Microsilk fiber.          In March 2017, we launched the very first commercially available product made of spider silk. All 50 limited-edition neckties sold out within minutes.         In March 2017, we launched the very first commercially available product made of spider silk. All 50 limited-edition neckties sold out within minutes.          In July 2019, Stella McCartney and adidas unveiled the Biofabric Tennis Dress, created with a Microsilk and cellulose blend fiber and designed to be fully biodegradable.         In July 2019, Stella McCartney and adidas unveiled the Biofabric Tennis Dress, created with a Microsilk and cellulose blend fiber and designed to be fully biodegradable.           How are spiders involved in your process?   No spiders are harmed in the making of Microsilk fiber! In fact, there are no spiders involved in the process. We originally studied real spider silk to understand the relationship between the spider DNA and the characteristics of the fibers they make. Today’s technology allows us to make those proteins without using spiders, which is a big relief to the arachnophobes among our team.       Why does the world need a new textile material?   Two reasons: performance and sustainability. We believe that it is possible to get much better performance from textiles and garments. We can imagine textiles that are both softer and longer lasting. We’re also motivated by the fact that the textile industry is among the dirtiest industries on the planet. Many of our team members have been in this industry for a long time and we’re driven to produce fabrics that can meet consumers’ needs while minimizing impacts on the environment.       How will your technology be less impactful on the environment?   At Bolt Threads, we believe that living in an increasingly resource-constrained world means we have a responsibility to find more sustainable ways of creating materials. Microsilk is protein-based and therefore has the potential to biodegrade, unlike polyester and other synthetic fibers that are contributing to microfiber pollution.       You say this is renewable. How?   The main input in our fiber-making process is sugar from plants that are grown, harvested, and replanted. Compare this renewable process to polyesters, which are made from petroleum derivatives. Currently, more than 60% of textiles are made of polyester and other non-renewable, petroleum-derived fibers.       Do your materials contain GMOs?   No. Our Microsilk fibers do not contain any genetically modified organisms. The process we use to make our fibers does utilize genetically modified yeast. After fermentation is complete, the silk protein is purified from the yeast, and the remaining yeast cells are destroyed by heat via the same methods used to pasteurize milk. There are no GMO yeast present in the final material. The sugar we use as feedstock is made from corn, and 88% of all corn produced in the US is genetically modified. The technology we’re using is not new; in fact, genetically engineered organisms have been fermented to make recombinant products, insulin, and vaccines for decades, safely.     
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 Adidas and Stella McCartney used vegan spider-style silk by Bolt Threads to create the Biofabric Tennis Dress, which can "fully biodegrade". The Adidas x Stella McCartney Biofabric Tennis Dress is made using Microsilk, a bioengineered yarn made from yeast by Californian biotech startup Bolt Threads.
The Microsilk fabric eventually breaks down back into the environment, making the dress fully biodegradable, Adidas claims. While fabrics such as wool or cotton are often labelled as biodegradable, the chemical treatments they undergo to be made into garments can slow down the break-down process or stop it altogether.
Biofabric Tennis Dress is made using a bioengineered yarn called Microsilk"Fashion is one of the most harmful industries to the environment," said McCartney.
"We can't wait any longer to search for answers and alternatives. By creating a truly open approach to solving the problem of textile waste, we can help empower the industry at large to bring more sustainable practices into reality."
To create Microsilk, Bolt Threads studied the silk made by argiope bruennichi – a type of orb-weaver spider that commonly spins its own web – then recreated a version of the proteins in a laboratory.
        
In order to do so, scientists at the startup bioengineered genes in the lab and implanted them in yeast.
Together with sugar and water, the yeast produces protein through fermentation. Liquid silk proteins are then extracted and spun into yarn to weave for garments.
Microsilk is still in the research and development phase and doesn't have the statistics to compare its water usage with other fabrics, but by using plants that can be regrown Bolt Threads claims it is more sustainable than petroleum-based fibres such as polyester.
The material was mixed with a cellulose-blended yarn to make the prototype dress.
Bolt Threads recreated spider silk proteins and grew them using yeast in a laboratoryIn an exclusive interview with Dezeen, Stella McCartney warned that designers "aren't taking responsibility" for the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry.
"We need to impose new laws on designers because sadly people aren't taking responsibility, and there is no incentive to encourage them," she said.
Meanwhile, Dharan Kirupanantham, leader of Adidas' eco-innovation programme told Dezeen that the sportswear brand is embracing the circular economy.
"It just makes sense," he said. "It's common sense to the industry, and us. That's how we envisage the future." 

Arnhem

San Francisco

Portland

<p>In 2012 material solutions company Bolt Threads developed Microsilk, a durable, biodegradable textile inspired by silk fibres produced by spiders. Micosilk replicates the proteins in spider silk, using bioengineering to create a scaleable fibre that has been used by brands including Stella McCartney and Addidas.&nbsp;</p>

Microsilk by Bolt Threads: A bioengineered fibre inspired by spider silk

Spiders produce silk fibers with remarkable properties including high tensile
strength, elasticity, durability and softness. Bolt Threads has developed
technology to replicate this amazing process sustainably at large scale. The
company's knit ties are the first prototype product, available in a limited
edition release.

  

Read more at:

<https://boltthreads.com/about-us/>

