Once mistakenly seen as a "dangerous" crop, potatoes now help sustain more than a billion people globally, making them the world's third-most important food staple, according to The James Hutton Institute.
Now, a United Kingdom-based startup believes waste from the humble spud could help the highly polluting fashion industry adopt more sustainable practices.
As New Scientist detailed, Idan Gal-Shohet co-founded Fibe along with other Imperial College London graduates in 2022 after a group project had them delving into which waste plants might be a more sustainable option to cotton.
Even though natural fibers like cotton don't contain toxins like synthetic materials with plastic (a common choice for fast-fashion companies), growing textiles still comes with a significant environmental impact. As the company explained, fashion is the second-most polluting sector, with just one cotton T-shirt requiring more than 700 gallons of water to produce on average.
What's more, textile cultivation uses around 2.5% of land suitable for growing crops, even as parts of the world grapple with food insecurity as extreme weather conditions challenge previously profitable areas — and contribute to price hikes at the grocery store.
Enter the potato. Or, more specifically, the haulm — the stem of the plant that grows above the spud. According to Fibe, farmers "don't really know what to do with it," as they can't use it for compost or animal feed. New Scientist noted of the latter that this is because the haulm contains solanine, which can cause illness in animals and humans when ingested.
However, Fibe makes use of the haulm, extracting fibers from the stalk through a proprietary, chemical-free process and then turning it into yarn that is 75% cotton and 25% potato fibers, according to New Scientist.
"We are controlling the biodegradation process in a way that yields us fibers," Gal-Shohet explained to the publication.
Because the process uses crop waste, it doesn't require additional land devoted to textile production. Overall, Fibe reported that its potato-based textiles use 99.7% less water and generate 82% less carbon pollution than cotton.
Gal-Shohet told New Scientist that the Fibe yarn will likely be more expensive at the outset, but as production scales up, he anticipates the cost will be comparable to other natural fibers.
According to the report, the startup has already received around $2.6 million in investments and grants, including from Patagonia's venture capital arm Tin Shed Ventures. As of August, it had some new partnerships in the works. Fibe hopes to begin trial production in 2025, with products making their way to market in 2026.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
