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Clothes made from coconuts could make your washing dry faster and help you ditch the tumble dryer. The Colorado State University says a new coconut-infused fabric from Cocona Inc dries 35 per cent quicker than conventional polyester.
While you can't stroll down to Topshop and buy a coconut polyester tee today, the technology is apparently ready for real world togs. As a green bonus, Cocona says its material uses less energy to manufacture too.
So, how's the tech work? Well, the process extracts 'activated carbon' -- basically the sort of charcoal that's used in water filters -- and weaves it in with the fibres of standard polyester.
I'm not entirely convinced how sustainable and scaleable mass-produced coconut tees will prove long-term. Still, new clothes that dry quicker and wash well on lower temperatures are clearly good for us and the planet. M&S reckons 80 per cent of a garment's carbon footprint comes from its washing and drying, and only 20 from its production.
In the meantime, for some real world fast-drying clothes you can buy today, check out anything made with bamboo.
Via Ecotextile News.
30 July 2008 09:53am
I saw some coconut clothes at an ethical clothes sale in Brighton a year or so ago and I have to say the fabric was *incredibly* soft.
Unfortunately the only things they were selling in the fabric were tight-fitting running tops - not really my style! Nice to see it might finally take off as a fabric though.
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