PARIS – Spiber, the makers of branded ‘Brewed Protein’ fibres derived from sugar cane and agricultural residues, expects to increase its production capacity shortly due to its partnership with US industrial biomaterials developer ADM.

But in addition, the company is also now researching how to make its polymers from cellulosic textile waste.

Speaking to Ecotextile News at the on-going Première Vision trade fair in Paris, Ayana Nakajima, global marketing and communications specialist at Spiber noted how previous development timelines had slipped a little due to the global pandemic.

But she added: “As an addition to our existing production in Yamagata, Japan and manufacturing facility in Thailand, by next year, we hope to start production in the United States with ADM. This will give our polymer a much more competitive price point as volumes increase.”

It's hoped that a new round of further research on the lab-designed polymer, which is the subject of interest from luxury brands, will also allow the Japanese firm to produce its ‘Brewed Protein’ from cellulosic textile waste in future, said Nakajima. The company has already linked up with brands such as Pangaia.