2018 – The Bio Plant Jacket
Our next invention within the Eco Essentials initiative was the Bio Plant Jacket, a 100 % degradable rain jacket. The project sprung from the idea of creating a rain jacket that resembled nature’s own circular eco system. Instead of using a material derived from fossil fuel we used PLA (Polylactide) from Tapioca and sugar cane.
During the design process we looked at both the military and medicine industries for inspiration, both are at the forefront when it comes to innovation and developing sustainable materials. The military have been using degradable PLA (Polylactide) for years in war zones to be able to leave material behind which then disappears without a trace. In medicine degradable PU (Polyuretan) is often used as a natural degradable material. The result of combining these two techniques created our degradable rain jacket.
The jacket is also equipped with a unique degradable zipper, made from the only degradable polyamide yarn in the world, Amni ® Soul Eco Material. The rest of the jacket is made in PLA – Polylactide – a fabric that is produced from carbon dioxide. By using a special technology, carbon dioxide can be extracted from plants like corn, sugar cane and tapioca. To make the jacket waterproof it’s coated with a degradable PU.