This project aims to create a shift in the viscose industry by using wetland plants as a sustainable alternative to traditional wood pulp. Through unique processing developments, Saltyco will extract high-quality cellulose from crops like typha latifolia. This approach offers dual benefits: meeting the textile industry's demand for eco-friendly materials and aiding wetland restoration, vital for biodiversity and carbon capture. Our comprehensive strategy, from lab tests to market integration, positions Saltyco as a future leader in sustainable textile innovation, reshaping industry standards.

Textile production is inherently unsustainable, due to its environmentally-damaging intensieve production processes. The industry pumps 2bn metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year \[The-Revelator-2020\]. The UK will not achieve its Net Zero targets without reducing the impact of textile manufacturing. Natural fibres like goose-down are commonly used for their insulation qualities. However, while the rapid growth of vegan behaviours is prompting brands to use alternatives, the commercially available option, polyester, is the single largest contributor to microplastic production. Today's textiles are not fit for the future: sustainable, biodegradable and ethical alternatives must be scaled into industry to prevent catastrophic environmental damage. SaltyCo's biomaterial filler (BioPuff Wadding / "BPW") is a planet-positive alternative that regenerates damaged peatlands. Peatlands are enormous carbon sinks, delivering secondary benefits. Our first product, BioPuff, is a plant-based, organic loose fill alternative to goose-down or synthetic fillers. Over 90% of brands who tested BioPuff expressed a preference for organic fibrefill in the form of wadding; a padded, non-woven fabric that can be cut into various lengths. This feedback has informed the development of BioPuff Wadding (BPW), which uses exceptionally efficient and environmentally sustainable production processes to deliver natural, high-performance material properties. The material is lightweight, 3x more insulating than wool and completely water-repellent. Delivered by SaltyCo, this project will include industrial trials of BPW with textile brands. We will integrate BPW with brand technologies to test its manufacturability and scalability in line with demand.

Textile production is inherently unsustainable and over-reliant on finite resources: freshwater and plastics. The textiles industry uses 10% of all industrial freshwater use for the cultivation and production of fibres like cotton. Conservative estimates predict that the UK will run-out of freshwater supply within 25-years. Natural fibres like goose-down are used commonly for their insulation qualities. The growth in adoption of vegan ethics is prompting brands to ask for alternatives. The commercially-available alternative, polyester, is the single largest contributor to microplastic production. The overriding message is that textiles are not fit-for-the-future and that sustainable, biodegradable and ethical alternatives must be scaled into industry to prevent catastrophic environmental damage. SaltyCo makes textiles that are planet-positive guaranteed, using our game-changing innovation to respond to a huge environmental crisis and desperate need in the fashion industry. Our first product is a plant-based, organic and vegan fibrefill for use as an alternative to goose-down or synthetic fillers. SaltyCo FIBREFILL is biodegradable and utilises exceptionally efficient and environmentally-sustainable production processes. The material is lightweight, three-times more insulating than wool and completely water-repellent. This project is delivered by SaltyCo and will include a small industrial pilot with YOOX Net-A-Porter-Group, resulting in the production of a sustainable capsule collection.