Will milk fiber replace cotton?

In the European Union we waste about 88 million tons of food every year, more than 170 kilos per person. A significant part of this consists of waste from dairy products. Scientists now seem to have a solution for this.

WRAP, a British organization that helps businesses reduce their waste, says that 20% of total food waste in the UK (1,7 million tonnes) is made up of dairy product waste. According to them, however, it is possible to convert the waste from those products into a new product: milk fibre. These can then be spun or woven to make textiles.

Clothing from dairy products
Beda Ricklin, CEO of Swicofil (a yarn and fiber company from Switzerland), already sells milk fibre. These are produced by various manufacturers in China. Ricklin says that the milk fiber is perceived as smooth and soft, similar to silk. The product is currently mainly used for clothing that is worn close to the skin, such as socks and underwear. 

The milk fiber is not a new discovery. It was already used in the 30s and 40s for making clothing and household items. The product then served as a substitute for wool. Later, milk fiber was replaced by cheaper fibres, such as nylon and polyester. Cost, Ricklin says, is one reason why the product has a limited market. "By comparison, 1 kilo of polyester costs about $1 to $2, but 1 kilo of milk fiber costs an average of $25 to $35. Although that is still cheaper than other luxury fibers, such as silk."

Germany is also experimenting
In Germany, Anke Domaske, microbiologist and founder of Qmilk, claims to have a technique for making milk fibres, using only natural ingredients. The microbiologist became interested in milk fiber when her stepfather struggled to find suitable clothing due to allergies. "When I first heard about milk fibre, I was enthusiastic. This is because milk is naturally natural and healthy. The fact that the production process contains many chemicals was a disappointment. That is why I started looking for a different production method." 

Qmilk's fibers are produced with waste from German dairy products. "In Germany, 2 tons of milk are wasted every year because it is not suitable for human consumption," says the microbiologist. However, here too it is a fairly expensive product. With 1 kilo of milk fibres, the company can 'only' make 6 T-shirts. According to Domaske, it should be possible to provide the whole of America with 2 T-shirt with 1 tons of milk fiber.

Whether that fact is enough to convince the market to use this product remains to be seen. That chance does not seem very great, according to Ricklin.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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