H&M wants to make clothes from CO2 using ground-breaking technology

The fashion industry knows they have a waste problem. At least one garbage truck of cloth is thrown away every minute. Currently, these industries are producing more carbon pollution than global shipping and ocean shipping combined.

Some companies are trying new ways to do it recycle textile wastewhile others are developing new devices that It will not require fuel. One start, Rubyand “taking biological machinery out of the cell” to create lyocell and viscose fabrics, co-founder and CEO Neeka Mashouf told TechCrunch. The basic technology allows any company that uses cellulose to make products from carbon dioxide.

Rubi recently raised $7.5 million to make a demonstration of its cellulosic machine, which is designed to produce tons of products using CO.₂ as its main ingredient. The round was led by AP Ventures and FH One Investments, with participation from CMPC Ventures, H&M Group, Talis Capital, and Understorey Ventures, Rubi exclusively told TechCrunch.

The startup has secured more than $60 million in non-binding deals with several partners, Mashouf told TechCrunch. The company tested the product with 15 pilots, including H&M, Patagonia, and Walmart.

To make lyocell or viscose cellulose, Rubi uses enzymes. This is different from other starters, which can use bacteria produced inside the fermenter or chemicals to convert the carbon dioxide into a compound. Today, most cellulose comes from trees, including plantations and rainforests.

“These fabrics and materials are very durable,” Mashouf said. “Here in the US, we’ve had an interest in being able to make cellulose into textiles, where it doesn’t exist today.”

The idea of ​​using enzymes came when Mashouf, who as a scientist researched new materials, teamed up with his twin sister, Leila, who was studying medicine at Harvard Medical School. “We looked at all the technologies out there,” he said, but kept coming back to enzymes.

The enzyme industry is huge, he said. It is used in the production of high fructose corn syrup and in wastewater treatment. “The energy is already there and it can be very cheap.”

Rubi uses the “excretion” of enzymes to break down carbon dioxide waste. The company has used AI and machine learning techniques to improve the performance and stability of enzymes.

Meanwhile, enzymes float in a liquid solution, and when carbon dioxide is added, pure cellulose appears inside the reactor within minutes, Mashouf said. The reactors fit inside the shipping container-sized units. After that, Rubi plans to change his process to allow for continuous production.

While the startup is targeting clothing companies as its first customers, it eventually hopes to supply cellulose to any industry that uses it. “This is a platform,” Mashouf said. “We think of it as a platform for making drugs and all the necessary tools for the economy in a cost-effective way.”