Potato threads could reduce the fashion industry’s environmental footprint

As pressure grows for the fashion industry to reduce its environmental impact, fabric made from discarded potato plants could offer a more sustainable alternative to pure cotton.

Potatoes are a headache for farmers: While the tubers can be harvested and eaten, the aboveground plants contain solanine, which is toxic and cannot be used as fertilizer or for livestock feed. Farmers typically crush or burn the material before harvesting the potatoes.

Now, British start-up Fibe wants to avoid this by extracting fibre from potato stalks to create sustainable fabric.