Plastic fibres for warmth, not waste
Graduate Georgie Northcoat knew she wanted to do something to save the planet and wanted to do it with fabric.
Armed with an applied science degree in textile science and marketing, the young entrepreneur has developed a patentable process for turning synthetic fibres from waste fabric into insulation.
Her business idea is one of 10 finalists in Callaghan Innovation’s C-Prize, an annual science prize which offers $100,000 and help for the winning concept.
Northcoat’s EcoTex business came about after she went to China in November for an innovation lab and stayed on for a month to visit the fabric scene.
‘‘I have been passively working on this idea for a wee while.’’
Concerned about the way ‘‘synthetic fibres are plastic so they last forever’’, Northcoat believes those fibres can be extracted and repurposed rather than being washed into the sea or dumped in landfill.
There is considerable concern about microfibre clothing, one item of which can shed 700,000 plastic particles in a single wash.
Northcoat’s intellectual property is at a sensitive stage but she says ‘‘when you talk about insulation, it is all about trapping air within a structure and using synthetic fibres from textiles to do that’’.
The sort of fabrics she is targeting are purely synthetic, such as nylon and polyester. ‘‘Blends’’, such as polyester and cotton, are not on her radar at present.
Even so, there is plenty of material. Offcuts from upholstery, clothing, carpets and curtains are ‘‘a constant’’. ‘‘No matter how efficient the manufacturing process is at making a textile product ... you will always have textile offcut waste.’’ The idea would require close links with factories, especially in the manufacturing hotspot that is China. Northcoat says New Zealand offers a good test market but China offers a $1.3 billion market opportunity and its government is offering tax benefits for sustainable building materials.
EcoTex is hoping to win the prize so it can do a pilot.
‘‘Obviously, there is still a long way to go, because logistics and economies of scale play into the picture quite a bit.’’
EcoTex is one of 10 finalists for the C-Prize, which this year has focused on technology that improves environmental outcomes on a global scale.
All the finalists, selected from 140 entries, will receive $10,000 to support their project and business mentoring over six months.
The winner will be announced in June, receiving $100,000 plus Callaghan Innovation support.