Denimaize

Denimaize

It is now a well known fact that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting. A simple pair of staple jeans is likely to use around 2,000 gallons of water in their production process. Many of these jeans are also made internationally, using harsh chemicals and in some circumstances unethical labour. That’s why Denimaize was created as a bio alternative to cotton denim. Instead the solution uses waste from the corn industry, who produces 250 million in the US each year, which is also one of the largest consumers of denim, with one average American woman owning 7 pairs of jeans. 

 

Denimaize utilises corn husk fibres, while microbial dyes are used to colour, and enzymes to relax the material. The corn husks used are classed as “diseased”, as the fungal infection Corn Smut can wipe out crop, making it unsaleable. This husk is mixed with healthy husks by separating the cellulose fibres within the husks using a process called retting. Here the dried corn husk is put in a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hot water. This works by breaking down the husks into fibres. These are washed and neutralised with 20% acetic acid. The fibres are then spun into a thread which can be woven. Finally, to finish the denim an enzyme is used that breaks down cellulose, making the denim softer and less rigid. Traditionally this process takes multiple stone washes, using lots of machinery and water. While some jeans are blended with elastane or rayon to make them more wearable, which releases plastic residue into water.

 

Indigo is commonly used to colour denim, as well as synthetic dyes. These can be extremely toxic and can pollute the environment, especially nearby aquatic life. But the Denimaize team found that common pathogens in soil produce vibrant pigments, which they are able to turn into colours. The soil on corn farmland has undergone eutrophication from the growing process, meaning that the corn’s soil can create a variety of colours. The bacteria used is natural and genetically engineered to create a range of colours such as: light pink, dark violet; stereotypical navy; and even ones that are bioluminescent.

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Denimaize