Photo byPinterest

Long before Uyen Tran heard the term waste colonialism, she experienced it firsthand. Tran grew up in Da Nang, a seaside town in Vietnam.

LESSONS FROM HOME

We were poor, so when I went to the market with my mom, the new clothes that she got me were second-hand. I grew up wearing all clothes discarded from Western countries and didn’t know it. From this experience, I developed a love for fashion. I studied textile design at Parsons School of Design in New York. I realized just how wasteful the industry was. - Uyen Tran

Many products are made from synthetic materials; consumers wear them a handful of times before discarding them, and then they get exported to countries where some might be resold, but most end up in landfills.

Photo byTômTex

Tran knew there had to be a better way and looked to nature. Two years ago, she founded TômTex, a biomaterials company that creates textiles from mushroom and shrimp-shell waste.

WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH NATURE

The company aims to develop sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fashion production methods by using natural waste materials to create high-quality, stylish, and biodegradable textiles.

TômTex sources shrimp-shell waste partially from the shrimp industry in Vietnam, which produces hundreds of tons of shell waste annually.

By repurposing this waste material, TômTex can create a more sustainable and responsible approach to fashion production.

“Waste doesn’t exist in nature,” says Tran. “If something decomposes, it comes back into the earth and gives nutrients to the soil.”

The company has created a fully biodegradable leather alternative, which it debuted with designer Peter Do at New York Fashion Week last year.

Tran eventually wants TômTex to open regional production facilities worldwide to craft biomaterial from waste streams particular to different areas.

TômTex’s process of creating textiles from mushroom and shrimp shell waste involves converting the natural materials into usable fibers. - TômTex Spokesperson

First, the mushroom and shrimp-shell waste is collected and cleaned to remove impurities. Then, it is ground into a fine powder and mixed with other natural materials to create a slurry.

The slurry is then poured into molds and dried into a thin, flexible sheet. The resulting material is then treated with a natural tanning process to create a leather-like texture that is both durable and biodegradable.

The benefits of using biomaterials like those created by TômTex include:

• Reducing the amount of waste in landfills
• Reducing the use of synthetic materials that can harm the environment
• Creating a more sustainable fashion industry

Using natural waste materials, TômTex can create eco-friendly, high-quality, and stylish textiles

Like many startups, TômTex has faced its fair share of challenges in developing and bringing biomaterials to market. One of the biggest challenges has been scaling up production to meet the demands of the fashion industry.

Creating textiles from natural waste materials is a complex process that requires specialized equipment and expertise. TômTex has had to invest significant time and resources to develop its production methods and ensure that its textiles meet the quality standards required by fashion designers and consumers.

Another challenge has been educating consumers and retailers about the benefits of biomaterials and the importance of sustainable fashion. While there is growing interest in eco-friendly products, many consumers still need to learn about the fashion industry’s environmental impact and the role they can play in promoting sustainability.

Despite these challenges, TômTex remains committed to creating a more sustainable fashion industry. The company continues to refine its production methods and expand its product offerings to make biomaterials the norm in fashion. The fashion industry is known to have a significant impact on the environment.

According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. It is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply. Additionally, the sector produces significant waste, with an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste generated yearly.

Synthetic materials commonly used in clothing production can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. As a result, they contribute to the growing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and other ecosystems.

Using sustainable alternatives like those created by TômTex can help reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact. Using natural waste materials and creating biodegradable textiles, TômTex can offer a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional fashion production methods.

This reduces waste and pollution and promotes a more sustainable and responsible approach to fashion.

TômTex is committed to reducing waste and pollution and promoting a more accountable and eco-friendly fashion industry. Vietnam produces hundreds of tons of shell waste annually.

TômTex is leading the way in creating a more sustainable future for fashion. The company is fully committed to revolutionizing the fashion industry by providing sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional production methods.

Using natural waste materials, TômTex can create high-quality, stylish, and biodegradable textiles that positively impact the environment.

Waste is the New Luxury

TômTex is confident that its production methods and biomaterials will become the norm in the fashion industry, and it remains committed to expanding its product offerings and educating consumers and retailers about the benefits of sustainable fashion.

Learn more about TômTex at www.tomtex.co

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Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer & journalist based on the West Coast. He writes about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, lifestyle, equestrian and rodeo, and millionaire travel.

He is a regular contributor to Newsbreak.com and Medium.com.

You’re welcome to share your thoughts or tell me your story. Contact me at dp1@sawyertms.com.