Flax fiber skis, biobased turf for 2020 Olympics, Gevo’s isoprene, Veja vegan leather, castor oil jacket membrane and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of February 8th

#4 Castor oil based membrane in new jacket

In France, Picture Organic Clothing introduced a new 20k/20k membrane made from caster oil in their new Harvest Jacket and Bib. The membrane, called Pebax Renew, is a way for the clothing company to reduce fossil fuel use in their products. While all their products must have at least 50% recycled or biobased materials, this new membrane takes it a step further.

“The fight against climate change requires ending our dependence on fossil fuels,” Julien Durant, Picture Co-Founder told SNews. “Using recycled materials from plastic bottles does considerably reduce the impact on the environment, but those plastic bottles are still petroleum-based waste, and therefore not a long-term solution.”

“The technology has been around for a long time, but not used very much in modern-day textile manufacturing,” explains Jeremy Rochette, Picture Co-Founder and Head of Design. “We know that it is just as durable and waterproof/breathable as the petroleum-based membranes on the market. While we’re only introducing it in two products right now, there is real potential for expansion as we continue to work with suppliers.”
More on the story, here.