If you can’t eat it, wear it: Hong Kong researchers come up with novel solution to food waste problem
Hong Kong Research Institute for Textiles Apparel comes up with a technique to transform waste into fibre, although further work will be required before it can be used to make clothes
After decades of debate over what Hong Kong should do with its mountains of food waste, a novel solution has emerged – wear it.
A new technology that kills two birds with one stone by turning food waste into a sustainable textile fibre has stirred interest from an “international fashion retailer” and offered a possible solution to the problem of the city’s overflowing landfills.
Material scientists at Hong Kong’s flagship textile research institute and City University have been able to find a way to convert food waste into polylactic acid, which can then be spun into fibres for use in textiles.
Hong Kong Research Institute for Textiles Apparel chief executive Edwin Keh Yee-man said with a bit more study, the fibre would be strong enough to produce yarns for fabrics and hopefully offer a usable material to garment manufacturers.
“Hong Kong has a very limited sorting of waste right now and this [technology] could be an answer to that problem,” Keh told the Post.