Corn is the New Hemp, er the New Bamboo
By Rocky Thompson on February 5th, 2007
Four North Carolina factories are producing fabric made from corn instead of making wasteful Ethanol with it. You see, Ethanol needs more energy to be produced than the final product actually puts out—it’s just a boondoggle for Midwest farmers.
A Germany company called Salewa is already producing clothing from corn—or more accurately—fermented corn starches. No one’s made the claim that you can actually eat your clothing when you’re on the trail to lighten your load, so I’ll be the first person to boldly do so. If it’s fermented corn it can’t be too far from Whiskey. Of course, I have no knowledge of organic chemistry—just a good gut feeling.
[...] While outdoor retailers like Backcountry.com have started to highlight companies with sustainable practices and new eco-friendly fabrics are appearing on many retail hang-tags, the general public is still confused about organic production, sustainable processes, and general environmental practices. This article is about how people who want to use their purchasing power to fund green initiatives are trying to do good on their clothing purchases, but receive mixed messages about what they are getting from major retailers. In the end, 60% of customers aren’t even bothered if their organic cotton tee ends up being a little less environmentally friendly. By Kristin Piccirillo [...]