Negative Is The New Positive?!

CO2 is the main culprit in global warming, in part because it is virtually impossible to produce almost any product without releasing carbon dioxide. But what if products could be created from CO2 instead of releasing it? In this edition of Greenspiration, let’s discover how the fast-growing carbon-technology industry is capturing CO2 from the air and turning it into everything from dresses to vodka to diamonds!

Carbon could soon be “in fashion”

Fashion retail giant Zara has teamed up with biotech developer LanzaTech to produce textiles made from recycled carbon emissions, which marks the first time clothes produced from captured carbon have been made available for sale. The resulting capsule collection of little black dresses was later launched in Dec. 2021, with the companies highlighting how the technology both captures carbon emissions and displaces demand for conventional fossil fuel-based polyester yarns. According to LanzaTech, the partnership has seen Inditex, Zara’s parent company, capture steel mill emissions that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere and then recycles the captured emissions into Lanzanol (ethanol) through a fermentation process.

With the aim to turn our global carbon crisis into a feedstock opportunity, LanzaTech specialises in capturing carbon emissions from industrial facilities and converting the captured CO2 into low carbon fuels and materials. Apart from its partnership with Zara, Lanzatech is also collaborating with sportswear company lululemon to similarly produce materials made from carbon, and has teamed up with On to produce running shoes.

The Carbon Looper project is definitely another highlighted case in this areas, which could potentially be a game-changer to fight global CO2 emissions in fashion. The Planet First program and world-renowned The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) has recently resulted in an innovation - the Carbon Looper project – clothing that captures CO2 from the air and then releases it as nutrition for plants, which is now being tested by the restaurant staff at Fotografiska Stockholm. According to HKRITA, 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.

No stranger to showcasing breakthrough problem solving science and materials, PANGAIA is also exploring the possibilities into producing fashion and accessory products made from CO2. In 2021, the sustainable fashion brand launched its eyewear using CO2 Made® polycarbonate lenses that have been created using Twelve's carbon transformation technology. The technology aims to close the carbon loop is now also turning the emissions into consumer products like electronics, cars, etc.

Diamonds from the sky

Diamonds are not the planet’s best friend. Their mining requires a tremendous amount of resources, energy, land and pollution. But one diamond company is trying to recast the gems as a crucial lever in the climate fight by growing diamonds from carbon sucked straight out of the air.

Aether Diamond, a NYC-based lab-grown diamond startup has developed a process that turns excess CO2 into diamonds. In fact, the company has begun producing diamonds in a lab using carbon dioxide captured through CCS technology, attracting eco-conscious clients looking to invest in a less damaging jewel. During the production of just one one-carat diamond, Aether estimates it removes around 20 metric tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, equivalent to the yearly emissions of the average American.

UK-based company Sky Diamonds is undertaking a similar project - producing diamonds made from carbon captured from the air. “Everything we need to create a sky diamond comes from the sky,” says Dale Vince, founder of Sky Diamonds, and green energy supplier Ecotricity.

Food out of thin air

‘Food out of thin air’ is now possible with Solar Foods’ innovations. The Finnish company has developed a process that uses renewable energy and the carbon dioxide polluting our atmosphere to create an alternative protein it calls Solein. Solein is an adaptable ingredient, which can be added to the production process of many different foods as it has a completely neutral taste. To create Solein, Solar Foods starts by using renewable energy to split water cells into hydrogen and oxygen. Then it combines the hydrogen with CO2, and adds potassium, sodium, and other nutrients.

Similarly California-based startup Air Protein is aiming to make meat out of thin air. The start-up is taking carbon dioxide—the pernicious greenhouse gas warming our planet—and transforming it into a juicy steak or a delicate salmon fillet. The process itself is carbon-negative, and uses 1.5 million times less land than beef and reduces water usage 15,000 times compared to beef.

Drinking vodka to save the planet? Yes, a NYC-based start-up Air Company might make this a reality! The company is turning CO2 into planet-friendly Air Vodka, which is made in part from greenhouse gas emissions – specifically, captured carbon dioxide. According to the New York startup, its Air Vodka actually removes 450 grams of GHG emissions, making it carbon negative, compared to conventionally-made spirits which leave behind 5.9 kilograms per bottle.

Cutting carbon out of cleaning

Apart from innovations in the fashion and food industry, leading consumer group Unilever partnered with LanzaTech and India Glycols to produce a surfactant made from industrial carbon emissions. Typically derived from fossil fuels, surfactants are a critical ingredient for creating the foam and cleaning action of many household cleaning and laundry products, from dish soaps to fabric detergents. The new process now allows surfactants to be made using recycled carbon, which is a key form of renewable carbon and is essential to eliminating the use of fossil fuels. The new surfactant will be used in an OMO (Persil) laundry capsule, which was launched in China in 2021. The product will come at no extra cost to consumers.

As one of the world’s largest skin care brands, Nivea Men has also taken the leap in innovations in carbon transformation. In April 2022, the company launched its first-ever moisturiser made with recycled carbon dioxide, called Nivea Men Climate Care Moisturiser, which contains CO2 collected from industrial sites that is then directed to a bioreactor where it is transformed into cosmetic ethanol.

According to Beiersdorf, the newly-launched moisturiser contains 14% ethanol obtained using this alternative method. The product is created through the entire value chain having the environment in mind. It contains no micro-plastics, silicone, or mineral oil. From packaging to end of life, the product is designed to be carbon neutral.

The recycling of carbon emissions for use in product manufacturing appears to be killing two birds with one stone, as the list of carbon capture and utilisation companies is growing which is an indication of the simultaneously growing industrial demand for CO2, with the increasing demand from consumers on eco-friendly products. Perhaps someday, the garments that we wear, skincare products that we use, and the food that we eat will be produced from captured CO2. Being negative is the new positive!

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