Funded Project – Biofibres for sustainable apparel inspired by Humble Bee
Develop and research a bio-inspired textile as a viable polyester alternative. The new fibres and textiles will be made from recombinant protein-based biopolymers based on the nesting material of a native Australian solitary bee.
Background
Deakin University is renowned for its exceptional teaching and research, with a strong emphasis on industry collaboration. The Institute of Frontier Materials, located within Deakin, is a world-leading research institute dedicated to redesigning functional materials for a circular economy in partnership with commercial entities worldwide. The institute's primary focus lies in the field of fibres and textiles research, as evidenced by leading the ARC Research Hub for sustainable and functional fibres. This collaborative initiative, comprising 11 industry partners, aims to translate cutting-edge research into circular products and technologies.
In this project, Deakin University will join forces with Humble Bee Bio to characterize a bee-inspired biopolymer suitable for the sustainable production of a bio-yarn. The goal is to employ industrial scale spinning techniques to enable the mass manufacturing of this eco-friendly yarn. The project aims to close the loop in apparel manufacture by replacing non-renewable synthetic yarns, such as polyester, with circular textiles made from bee-inspired biopolymer yarns.
The problem
In Australia, the significant impacts of the apparel industry include climate change, microplastic pollution from laundering, and end-of-life disposal, considering the country's position as the second-largest consumer of apparel. Significant impacts of the apparel industry within Australia include climate change, microplastic pollution from laundering, and end-of-life disposal.
Apparel waste is a rapidly growing global problem, with approximately 400 million tonnes generated annually. Unfortunately, there are currently no large-scale recycling options available, leading to the widespread disposal of these items. Compounding the issue is the prevalent use of materials derived from non-renewable and non-degradable petrochemicals. Petrochemical polyester, a primary contributor to microplastic pollution, accounts for 52% of Australia's apparel consumption, with a staggering 93% of it ending up in landfills. In Australia, textile consumption amounts to 690,000 tonnes, and a significant portion of this waste, specifically 200,000 tonnes, is directed to landfill in Victoria.
The production of apparel has severe environmental consequences, including extensive raw material and water consumption, substantial CO2 emissions, microplastics shedding, and pollution from manufacturing processes such as construction, dyeing, treatment, and disposal.
The project
The project aims to develop a novel, circular alternative to polyester by creating bioinspired textiles. The fibres and textiles will be made from recombinant protein-based biopolymers derived from the nesting material of a native Australian solitary bee. Humble Bee Bio (HBB) will use sustainable and energy-efficient bioreactors to produce the biopolymer through fermentation.
The bio-textiles will undergo thorough evaluation by HBB's third-party manufacturers and designers to assess their viability as a replacement for polyester. Feedback from these evaluations will guide further development of the biopolymer production process and product manufacturing.
Deakin University will characterise the biopolymer and establish scalable spinning technology to produce bio-yarns. The team will use yarns to create textile samples for apparel demonstration. Working closely with designers and apparel companies, they will evaluate the yarns and textiles for their suitability as a polyester replacement, incorporating feedback to refine the bio-textile.
Successful outcomes from this research will pave the way for scaled-up production of bio-yarns and the establishment of sustainable spinning and weaving manufacturing capabilities in Victoria. One significant advantage of the bio-textile is its natural composition, which eliminates the shedding of microplastics during use or laundering.
Moreover, the bio-textile is expected to be biodegradable, allowing responsible disposal of apparel at end-of-life and avoiding landfill. It ensures complete circularity, addressing the increasing demand for sustainable alternatives to polyester apparel from environmentally conscious consumers and apparel brands.
Objectives
Create 2 new circular products
The project involves the creation of two circular products, yarn and apparel textile, using the bee biopolymer. Yarn production minimises waste by using biopolymer, water, and solubilising solvent. Recovering and reusing the solvent and water align with highest industry standards. The project intends to use excess biopolymer waste as feedstock for second generation biopolymer.
Technological innovation
The project represents technological innovation in Victoria and across Australia. The utilisation of recombinant genetics and bioreactors to produce protein-based polymers from bee-inspired sources is unprecedented. Only HBB has employed this method, making them the sole company globally with such capabilities. The supply of biopolymer through Victorian infrastructure, facilitated by CSIRO, further highlights the project's uniqueness.
Avoidance of waste materials
- Pre-consumer polyester textile waste from apparel and textile production has the potential to be reduced by 488 tonnes per annum. Waste currently generated during processing and production often ends up in landfills.
- The shredding phase primarily releases microplastics from apparel and textiles, due to laundering. The project aims to find solutions to minimise waste in this process. The challenge lies in the uncontrollable release of waste into the environment through water sources such as rivers and oceans.
- Post-consumer apparel waste occurs when consumers dispose of products. There is a potential to reduce 1040 tonnes of waste per annum. Unfortunately, 93% of textile waste is directly sent to landfills, and it is estimated that approximately half of the waste is polyester.
Project progress
| Key deliverables | Status |
|---|---|
| Biopolymer characterisation, supply, purification, and characterisation by Humble Bee Bio. Undertake characterisation of biopolymer in context of suitability for wet spinning. | Complete |
| Developing prototype films and coatings from Humble Bee Bio biopolymer formulations. Undertake development work on non-fibrous materials. Characterise chemical and physical properties to inform fibre production and other potential applications. | Complete |
| Production of fibrous materials incorporating Humble Bee Bio biopolymer. Manufacture fibrous materials containing biopolymer. Characterise the materials developed, including standard characterisation, and performance. | In progress |
| Production and comparative evaluation of textiles developed for targeted applications. | |
| Undertake project evaluation and business case/economic analysis for final report. |
From the grantee
Institute for Frontier Materials – Deakin
“Sustainability has always been an element of materials science but recently has become a core focus with the growing demand from society to address material waste. In the Future Fibres Group at the Institute of Frontier Materials (Deakin University), one of our core missions is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable circular economy. This is achieved by innovative materials science to facilitate uptake of circular behaviour within society through fundamental and applied materials research, particularly in collaboration with industry partners who share our sustainable values.
"To achieve these aims requires undertaking novel research projects in collaboration with our industry partners. Funding from institutions such as CEBIC is an extremely vital part of this process. It helps de-risk innovation for our industry partners, leveraging resources enabling a more expansive research program that would not otherwise be possible, which provides optimal outcomes from such visionary projects.
"The resources required to manufacture a never-before-seen material, conduct industry characterisation, have it intersected with the market and achieve commercial scale is a multiyear, multimillion dollar endeavour. It's hard, and expensive but we have to do it. The scale of pollution from plastics and chemicals used in consumer goods is existential in nature.
"Humble Bee Bio is a deep-tech company based in Aotearoa, New Zealand, that combines biomimicry and the power of synthetic biology to solve market and environmental problems. The founder, Veronica Stevenson started on this journey to make a positive impact on the world. Her background in reproductive biology taught her that society uses vast quantities of plastics and chemicals that we know are hormone disruptors and carcinogens and that this pollution has led to a 50% drop in sperm viability since the 1950s. At the time of learning this, she knew it would be a massive opportunity when regulation caught up with the science. That regulation is converging with the advancement of Humble Bee Bio's unique, patent-pending platform protein."
