AlgiKnit
Algiknit produces sustainable textile fibres from kelp, the most renewable organism on earth.
Addressing the ecological damage caused by the fashion industry, AlgiKnit is creating durable yet rapidly degradable yarns from kelp, a variety of seaweed. Grown in aquatic farms around the world, kelp often provides income for fisher men and women outside the fishing season. One of the fastest growing organisms on earth, Kelp absorbs CO2 up to five times faster than land-based plants, and nurtures both ecological and economic damage caused by overfishing and pollution, filters water and improves the habitats around it. From kelp, AlgiKnit extracts alginate, a biopolymer used to create durable, easily dyed and compostable textiles ready for production. AlgiKnit operates in a closed loop product lifecycle, utilizing materials with low environmental footprint, to bring sustainable bio-based textile alternatives to the footwear and apparel industries. AlgiKnit's first product, AlgiKicks, uses this textile to construct sneakers that can be fully composted.