One million citrus peels are discurded annually. While the peels are of course biodegradable, it still costs a lot of money to dispose of them properly. The start-up Orange Fiber, run by Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena, has developed a new kind of fabric, which is entirely made of waste citrus fruit peels.
The idea came to Santanocito while thinking of a way to reduce the amount of waste. And thus the idea to make fabric from the discarded peels was born.
What makes the fabric look and like silk? A patented method used to process peels. It extracts the cellulose that is spun to form the final yarn. The biodegradable yarn can be spun with any type of existing yarn.
Thanks to nanotechnology there are other benefits. The material still contains essential oils and vitamin C that are present in the citrus fruit peel. The skin absorbs these oils and is nourished by them, making the fabric a wearable body cream. No worries, according to Orange Fiber, despite the oils, the fabric does not feel greasy.
Salvatore Ferragamo is the first fashion house to employ Orange Fiber fabrics. This much-anticipated collaboration is born of a shared passion for creative innovation, sustainable design and our beloved heritage of Italian excellence. Orange you glad?
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