Australian surf brand Piping Hot Australia and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) announced their research partnership to develop a sustainable fiber made from seaweed.
Piping Hot has commissioned the innovative biomaterial research as an investment in its mission to keep oceans clean. UTS climate scientists will be building a prototype fiber developed in response to Piping Hot’s ambition to protect oceans for future generations.
The biobased solution will sequester carbon from the ocean and reduce the environmental impact of synthetic fibers.
“It is an honor and privilege to partner with the distinguished Professor Peter Ralph and the UTS Climate Change Cluster,” Stan Wan, CEO and managing director of Piping Hot Australia, said. “As part of Piping Hot’s mission to defend the oceans, our purpose-led investment into marine biotechnology and material science is of vital importance. Together we intend to impact change though marine science and transform the industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.”
Ralph said the UTS Climate Change Cluster and Piping Hot are equally committed to a more sustainable future for the planet and the development of sustainably sourced materials is crucial to achieving that goal.
“Developing new nature-derived alternatives for the fashion and textile industries has the potential to revolutionize products and their impact on the oceans,” he added.
Piping Hot offers a full range of fashion, footwear and accessories for the family influenced by Australia’s coastal lifestyle. Focusing on transparency, circularity and recycled materials, Piping Hot products are sustainably sourced. The brand is available through selected retailers and online at pipinghot.shop.
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Located in the heart of Sydney’s innovation precinct, UTS has a distinct model of learning, strong research performance and a reputation for industry and professional engagement.
Next-generation biomaterials have been gaining momentum as alternatives to traditional fibers. The Material Innovation Initiative’s “Brand Engagement with Next-Gen Materials: 2022 Landscape” report published this month details how Ugg, Gucci, Mercedes-Benz and more than 100 other companies in the fashion, automotive and home goods industries are using next-gen materials to meet shifting consumer demand, increase environmental sustainability and address growing animal welfare concerns.
In November, Sway, a biomaterials firm, raised enough cash from Valor Siren Ventures, along with Alante Capital, the Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Conservation International Ventures, to start plotting some pilot projects next year. A winner of Target’s Beyond the Bag challenge in February, Sway seeks to make compostable packaging from seaweed that “replenishes the social and ecological systems harmed by petroleum plastic.”
Pangaia has produced T-shirts made from seaweed and last year rolled out C-Fiber, a blend of eucalyptus pulp and seaweed powder it said “harnesses the harmony and natural power of both the earth and the ocean.”