All-algae textile fibres – Energy efficient harvesting, extraction and textile production (KELPTEX)

Textile manufacturing contributes to 10 % of global CO₂ emissions where two-thirds of the textiles are fossil-based.

Current bio-based raw materials – where cotton dominates followed by wood-based materials – are also unsustainable and require arable land, which competes with food production and leads to deforestation. Cotton production is also both chemical and water resource intensive. In addition, traditional textile dyeing, where mainly harmful azo dyes are used, is resource-intensive and accounts for 25 % of textiles’ environmental impact.

In the EU, aquaculture is considered a growth sector. Seaweed farming has a particularly significant potential, with benefits such as CO₂ fixation and reduced eutrophication. In KELPTEX, 100 % algae textile fibres from side streams, dyed with a novel algae pigment, will be developed in an efficient one-step process. These innovative fibres have the potential to replace conventional fibres containing hazardous textile dyes.