AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption & Production, Climate Action, Life On Land, Partnerships for the Goals
KEYWORDS
circular economy, sustainable textiles, upcycling, textiles, biomimicry
COUNTRY
Finland
DESIGNED BY
Juha Salmela, Janne Poranen, Spinnova Oy
WEBSITE
https://spinnova.com
SPINNOVA®
Respinning the textile industry with the world’s most circular fibre.
Researching the properties of cellulose, the most abundant polymer on the planet, we came upon research into the design of spiders’ web-spinning organs. We discovered how to mimic them in textile production. Spiders spin proteins, we spin cellulose into textile fibers.
Earlier methods of converting cellulose to textile fibres have all used harmful chemicals. SPINNOVA’s design is based on physics, not chemistry. A fibre suspension is directed through a nozzle at elevated pressure, mimicking spiders. This causes the fibres to align geometrically resulting in a strong textile fibre.
We can spin wood, textile and agricultural waste into a durable textile fiber, which is 100% natural and circular, quickly biodegradable and does not emit microplastics. It uses 99% less water than cotton, has a 65% lower carbon footprint (Source: Simreka 2020). We develop our fiber with likeminded brand partners, raw material providers and universities. This is a complete respin for the textile industry!