A potentially groundbreaking innovation from Emmen is gaining momentum. Thanks to fresh investments, the development of bio-textiles is gaining momentum.
To tackle the increasing global problem of polyester textiles, solutions are emerging here and there. But the invention that is taking shape in Emmen is unique. There, at Mariva Materials, a way has been found to directly apply bio-fibers in the existing textile industry.
“We have developed a completely new fiber,” says founder and director Gerard Nijhoving from Emmen. “It can be made from natural materials such as sugar cane and corn. It also breaks down in nature, for example when the fiber ends up in the sewer.”
And this tackles a few world problems at the same time. The CO2 emissions are a fraction compared to the production of petroleum-based polyester. In addition, the major dilemma of microplastics has been tackled.
“About sixty percent of all textiles in the world are polyester. And then you also have fibers such as spandex and nylon. That is a really big problem.” These types of textiles are so popular for good reason. They are strong and can withstand processing, washing and ironing. Nijhoving: “Our fiber must be just as strong and good. And we succeeded.”
More attempts are being made worldwide to make biofibers, but nowhere has it been possible to obtain the properties such that they can be processed in existing factories. And that makes the fiber from Emmen so promising. This ensures that not only government funds, but also a commercial investor are now involved. “That says a lot about trust.”
With the money, Nijhoving and his colleagues can work on answering the question: what exactly is the market waiting for. “And we can also continue testing our fibers. We are going to make real textiles from them and see how they hold up under different conditions. We are also trying to get major clothing brands on board as testing partners.”
The scalability of the Drenthe invention is increased by its flexible use. Mixing with other fibers such as cotton or recycled polyester is possible. You could even mix the fibers with petroleum-based polymers. “But you shouldn’t want that. The ideal, of course, is that you recycle what you can and make what is new from bio fibers.”
It is actually obvious that this discovery was made in Emmen. In recent years, a lot of knowledge has been concentrated in this area. “This is exactly what we can do: fibers and bioplastics. The fact that the two have now been combined in Mariva and that we can go to the market is very nice.”
There are still plenty of challenges. For example, volume must be created and this requires biomaterial, such as sugar and corn. Nijhoving: “More factories are needed to make the building blocks we need. But that will happen. There is no other option, because the problem is far too big not to be tackled.”