The Planet First program unveils garments that capture CO2

©H&M Foundation

The Planet First program initiated by the H&M Foundation and world-renowned The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) has recently resulted in an innovation that could potentially be a game-changer when it comes to fighting global CO2 emissions. The Carbon Looper project – clothing that captures CO2 from the air and then releases it as nutrition for plants – is now being tested by the restaurant staff at Fotografiska Stockholm.

With the Carbon Looper project, cotton garments are treated with an amine-containing solution that makes the surface of the fabric capture carbon dioxide from the surrounding air. The carbon dioxide can then be released from the fabric by being heated to 30-40°C, in a greenhouse for example, where it can naturally be taken up by the plants during photosynthesis. The amount of CO2 that is captured by a garment per day, is approximately equivalent to 1/3 of the amount that a tree absorbs per day. And after only three ‘loop-cycles’, the garment has effectively climate-neutralized itself – and instead starts to have a climate-positive effect. Improving and scaling this technology up is being intensely researched in parallel.

The current research phase involves live testing in collaboration with Fotografiska Stockholm, where the restaurant staff will wear Carbon Loopers in the form of aprons. The restaurant’s famous hydroponic garden in the basement serves as an excellent CO2 release facility.