‘These aprons absorb CO2: Wearable technology has the potential to transform the restaurant industry’
A restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden is trialing cotton aprons that capture carbon dioxide from the air. The aprons were created as part of a pilot scheme developed by H&M-supported researchers, as the fashion industry strives to reduce its environmental impact.
How does it work?
The chemical process was created by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA). It takes the form of an amine-containing solution that is used to treat cotton – fiber, yarn, or fabric – causing the material to attract and capture carbon dioxide. This then stabilizes and stores it on the textile’s surface.
After being used, the aprons are heated to 30-40 degrees Celsius in the restaurant. At this high temperature, they release the CO2 they were storing, which is then used to feed plants in the restaurant’s greenhouse, and it once again becomes nutrients for the plants.
The team was inspired by techniques used in chimneys of coal-fired power plants to limit emissions.
“Many power plants have to scrub as much carbon dioxide as they can out of the air before the exhaust is released,” says HKRITA CEO Edwin Keh. “We thought ‘why don’t we try to replicate that chemical process on cotton fiber”.
“It is used as food for the plants so it completes the photosynthesis cycle and then once again it becomes nutrient for plants,” says Keh.
''One apron can absorb roughly one-third of what a tree absorbs per day''
‘It is going to be the next step, change the climate and we can actually take care of our own carbon and release it to the plants, where it belongs’ says one of the restaurant employees. The restaurant uses CO2 to grow its own vegetables in the basement.
This YouTube video explains further.
Fashion industry titans are under pressure to change their ways
As shoppers become more aware of the environmental impact of clothing and global temperatures rise, fashion behemoths are under increasing pressure to address their massive carbon footprint.
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. To reduce it, researchers are looking at other uses for the material as well as the disposal of the captured CO2
H&M, the Swedish fast-fashion chain, has been heavily chastised for its massive environmental impact.
However, the H&M foundation claims that the innovation has the potential to be a game-changer in terms of reducing global CO2 emissions.
CO2-absorbing textile projects, on the other hand, are in their early stages, and their potential contribution to reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry remains to be seen.
According to Keh, the institute will now further develop its technology and try to find other applications for it, as well as other ways to use or dispose of the captured CO2.
‘You and I in the process of using our clothes can participate in sequestering of CO2 and help the world become more and more carbon-neutral.’
Also read: Possibilities of Human Waste in Textile Manufacturing
