ALT TEX aims to create "the world’s most radically sustainable polyester alternative." The startup sources its base material from "one of the world's largest landfill contributors—food waste" and its final product will surely have a lot of implications for one of the world's most polluting industries—fashion.
The polyester alternative is reached by ALT TEX through a patent-pending food-to-fabric technology that sees the start-up fermenting waste into polymers and turning those polymers into yarn. The yarn is then spun into a durable material that can substitute traditional polyester—a material that relies on "55 million barrels of oil annually" for its manufacturing.
ALT TEX's polyester alternative is biodegradable and carbon neutral. It retains the performance expected from traditional polyester fabric and the startup notes that its yarn is cost-competitive.
Food Waste Polyester Alternatives
ALT TEX Presents a "Radically Sustainable Polyester Alternative"
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Polyester Alternatives - ALT TEX's food-to-fabric technology presents a disruptive opportunity to create more sustainable alternatives to traditional polyester.
2. Food Waste Upcycling - ALT TEX's use of food waste to create polyester alternatives presents a disruptive opportunity to upcycle waste in other industries.
3. Circular Fashion - ALT TEX's biodegradable and carbon neutral polyester alternatives present a disruptive opportunity to create a more circular fashion industry.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - ALT TEX's polyester alternatives present a disruptive opportunity to create more sustainable and circular fashion practices.
2. Food and Beverage - ALT TEX's upcycling process for food waste presents a disruptive opportunity to create more sustainable practices in the food and beverage industry.
3. Plastics and Packaging - ALT TEX's use of food waste to create polyester alternatives presents a disruptive opportunity to upcycle waste in the plastics and packaging industry.