New Garments Introduced By H&M That Captures Co2 from Air

Fashion brand H&M’s non-profit organization H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel (HKRITA) have unveiled cotton garments that can capture CO2 from the air and release it as nutrition for plants.

This project was part of the ‘Planet First’ program which has the potential to be game-changing for sustainable cotton garments. Co2 capture from the air is achieved by treating cotton garments with an amine-containing solution that allows the fabric surface to capture carbon dioxide from the surrounding air.

Captured carbon can be released later by heating the fabric to 30-40°C. For example, in a greenhouse, this can be naturally taken by the plants during photosynthesis. According to the H&M Foundation, the amount of CO2 that is captured by a garment per day is approximately equivalent to a third of the amount that a tree absorbs per day. According to this number will become carbon neutral after three such cycles. Further capture of Co2 will starts to reduce carbon from the atmosphere.

This fabric technology is being live tested in The Carbon Looper project in the form of an apron being worn by restaurant staff at Fotografiska Stockholm. This restaurant has a hydroponic garden in the basement.

Christiane Dolva, strategy lead at H&M Foundation, said in a statement: “Our Planet First program with HKRITA is a perfect example of how we inspire industry-wide change by openly sharing proof of concepts.”

The Carbon Looper is one of a series of projects the foundation is working on to achieve carbon neutrality for the textile, apparel and fashion industry.