Biodegradable fabric might be the next best thing in clothing

6 comments

1. Every year Aarav Chavda goes scuba diving in the same Florida reefs. A former McKinsey analyst and mechanical engineer, Chavda has watched the corals blanch white over time, and he has noticed species dwindle— except the lionfish.

   Local and federal officials near Atlantic and Caribbean waters have tried a number of methods to eradicate the lionfish, a gorgeously striped and spiny invasive species that has no predators in the region and eats many other fish. Chavda had a new idea: Make it fashion. Along with two other avid divers, Chavda founded a startup called Inversa and invented a process that transforms lionfish skin into a supple, attractive leather. Next, they added two other invasive species— Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades and carp from the Mississippi River. They’ve achieved some real success: a number of brands, including Piper and Skye and Rex Shoes, have used their leathers for wallets, footballs, flip-flops, and a [cool-looking python dagger and sheath](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3DdBV1Ocg2/?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template).

   The toxic impact of the fashion industry – meaning not high fashion brands, but the companies that make the materials that form our clothes, as well as the companies constructing the clothes – is well-known. Up to 4 percent of global climate emissions, according to a [McKinsey report](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/fashion-on-climate__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!FycKXG-9ExZLM7EWfa7T9FlHTNTYPGV-m8lPqb4gRL4NQwDo9VYpiKDz5Dv9kcYITHGSrLtF-u8X6LHZhLtPAlPtS_4lyQ$?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template), and [an unknown but substantial percent ](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ecocult.com/shocking-but-accurate-statistics-about-fashions-environmental-impact/__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!FycKXG-9ExZLM7EWfa7T9FlHTNTYPGV-m8lPqb4gRL4NQwDo9VYpiKDz5Dv9kcYITHGSrLtF-u8X6LHZhLtPAlO9bMI54g$?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template)of global water pollution also derive from it. This is a baffling, often overwhelming problem. Humans require clothing to survive – plus, we love our clothes and derive deep meaning from how we present ourselves to the world.

   “It’s two sides of the coin,” says Monica Buchan-Ng, a sustainability expert at the London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion. “[Clothes] can be this incredible creative force of self-expression and identity. But also we know that the way the fashion system works at present, it’s just destruction after destruction.”

   Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/sustainability-fashion-fabric-biodegradable/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/sustainability-fashion-fabric-biodegradable/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)

2. Because fast fashion makes it so easy to throw things away. Clothes should be made to last! And be kept for a long time.

3. So are they making it ? The fabric? And what are we going to do about the present plastic ?

4. Do you mean something like cotton, or wool?

5. I’m sorry but this is a stupid idea. Kill off the animals that are thriving despite climate change and make them into clothing? Only a former business consultant would be brilliant enough to come up with this.

6. Yes natural fibers already exist and have been used for centuries. It’s only until the dawn of the 20th century that the non biodegradable moved in. Silk cotton wool linen for the win!