The 8th June is World Ocean Day, a day we can come together to protect our ocean, climate and future. Some of the solutions to help us do that can come from the ocean itself.
Have you ever heard of algae yarn? Algae yarn is an experimental biomaterial yarn. It’s water resistant, heat resistant to 150 celsius, and can even be edible! It’s a flexible and transparent yarn that has a plastic like look (many people liken its appearance to loom bands). Unlike conventional plastic yarns, like acrylic, this yarn is made from renewable resources and is completely compostable. It’s incredibly easy to make and can be done at home in your kitchen with entirely food safe ingredients.
Unlike most yarns that are spun on a spindle or spinning wheel this yarn is made from a bioplastic which starts as a wet gel like mixture that solidifies into a string of material when extruded into a curative bath.
It works thanks to a particular group of algae, brown macroalgae, that is found in temperate and polar regions of our oceans. This group includes things like kelp and bladderwrack which can be commonly found on UK beaches. These algae contain a natural biopolymer (or polysaccharide) within their cell walls that can be extracted and refined into sodium alginate, the main ingredient of this yarn.
One of the coolest things about this yarn is it doesn’t require agricultural land to grow, so it does not add to competition for farmland or contribute to the effect agriculture has on our environment. It can be grown easily on the nutrients from residual streams, like waste waste. It’s an incredibly high yield and low impact crop. There are also scientific studies that show that cultivating it has little to no effect on the eco system and does not diminish ocean health. The yarn itself is compostable and breaks down completely when exposed to water for an extended period of time. So even if it lands up back in the water table it won’t add to massive amounts of pollution in our oceans.
Alongside the sodium alginate, the polymer that allows the yarn to become solid, a few other ingredients are needed to go from algae to yarn:
But why would someone want to use an algae yarn over a traditional yarn? For me it’s a personal choice that aligns with my fashion and textiles practice. My work revolves around environmental sustainability, and I try to make the best material choice to help rather than hurt our planet and oceans. Because of this I only use compostable, renewable materials. This can limit my material choice but algae yarn adds a new and exciting texture, which is incredibly different to nature fibres like wool or cotton. It also serves as a great conversation starter to educate the people who see my work about our oceans and climate action.
Would you try making and using algae yarn for your next knitting, crochet or weaving project?
