Hello from Alberta!
We are Team ReneWool, from a province in western Canada known for its stunning mountains, expansive forests, and scenic lakes. Yet, the rising amount of textile waste filling our landfills and polluting our ecosystems is alarming and harmful. It's time for us to take action and make a change.
Before exploring our solution, we have something surprising to show you...
0 million
tonnes of textile waste is produced annually
The global fashion industry is valued at
0 trillion dollars
By 2030, global textile waste is expected to exceed
0 million tonnes
Only 0% is sent for some form of recycling
Although these initiatives are commendable, they fail to drive significant change on a larger scale, often only delaying the inevitable disposal of textiles rather than providing a long-term and sustainable solution.
Introducing...
Spiders produce silk known for its exceptional tensile strength, but it is difficult to obtain in large quantities because it cannot be mass-produced.
In our project, we made significant progress toward synthetically producing spider silk by engineering E. coli with genes responsible for silk production.
Enzymatic Degradation of Textile Waste
Why Spider Silk?
Clothing
Strong, lightweight, and breathable fabric for durable, comfortable garments
Industry
High-strength materials for ropes, cables, and safety equipment
Military
Protective gear, such as bulletproof vests and lightweight armor
Biomedical
Used in sutures, tissue engineering, and drug delivery
UV Resistant
Protects materials from sun damage, prolonging their lifespan
Biocompatible
Safe for medical use, ideal for implants, sutures, and tissue engineering
Antimicrobial
Resists bacteria and fungi, making it useful for medical and protective clothing
Durable
Exceptional strength and elasticity make it resistant to damage
Spider silk is 0 times stronger than steel!
