Coffee grounds fabric helps Taiwan
There has been a new breakthrough in the Taiwanese textile industry – and it all has to do with the humble coffee bean.
After lagging behind for a few years, the industry has just found an unlikely use for this plant which is making waves amongst well known and prestigious clients, such as Nike and North Face.
So what is the story? A fabric has been created by Singtex Industrial Company, called S. Café fiber, after a development project lasting over three years. The fabric is comprised of around two percent coffee extracts, which is mixed with polyester or other more traditional material such as nylon. The benefits of this product are numerous. The fact that the fibres are made from recycled coffee grounds is attractive, plus some of the properties of the S. Café fabric are beneficial – it is good at controlling odours and also offers some protection against harmful UV rays. Another benefit is that the coffee element also makes the fabric dry quickly. Of course this is attractive to many, including sports manufacturers.
It seems that the environmental factors have particularly impressed some of the buyers. For example, Timberland has been quoted in the news as applauding the environmentally conscious nature of a jacket made from this coffee fabric.
Singtex’s savvy marketing strategy is also heralded as the secret to much of the success of the new product, as well as the $1.7m it allegedly spent in research and development on the fabric. The Taiwan Textile Research Institute has been quoted as congratulating the firm on its environmental positioning.