Chicken Feathers!
We eco-fabric lovers are insatiable!
Organic cotton? Been there.
Bamboo? Closet full of it.
Rescued fabrics? Doing it for years.
Now, before you wrinkle your nose and say no way, let’s think about it this. Let’s pretend we are on a desert island and need some clothes and all around us, chickens are clucking and feathers are flying.
Your clothes are literally unraveling and, well”¦chicken feathers.
According to an Ecotextile News article, millions of tons of feathers end up in landfills yearly but new research in the U.S., Australia and Canada is underway that could result in the tossed feathers becoming sustainable yarns.
Ecotextile News cites CSIRO research scientist Andrew Poole, with saying the regeneration of the keratin in chicken feathers, which is just like wool with the help of nano-particles, may prove successful in transforming the by-product into sustainable fibers. Researchers are particularly interested in the barbs and barbules which have a thin, honeycomb-like structure containing tiny air pockets that make the fabric lightweight and resilient.
Also cited in the same article is Professor Yiqi Yang of the Textiles, Clothing and Design department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Professor Yang says the idea of creating new textiles from chicken feathers and rice straw occurred to him mostly because of energy and environmental concerns, but also because “55% of all fibers are from petroleum and not degradable.”
Not to mention their use could add value to agriculture.
Other possible textiles he and his students have begun research on are corn byproducts, wheat byproducts, switch grass, cotton stalks, and many other materials most people consider non-useful.
Image: Desmond Kavanagh
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5 Comments
February 17th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
This is incredible info. I would like to see the finished product.
Goodby, tar and feathers routine. Hello new CHICK CLOTHING.
Elly D.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
That’s cool, but I wonder if people like me with feather allergies will be unable to use the fibers… still, a creative solution to a currently wasted product.
February 21st, 2009 at 6:02 am
At first glance, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of chicken feather fabric. Chicken feathers are scratchy and unappealing. Still, after reading the story the idea sounds intriguing: less landfill fodder, a light-weight fabric with the properties of wool. I think it would be a hard sell, though, without some clever marketing and a catchy name.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Another uncommon – but deliciously soft and strong – textile is that made of nettles. Check out what Savage Designs is doing with it. http://www.ecosalon.com/savage.....f-nettles/
July 11th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Back in the 80’s there used to be yarn with the chicken feathers spun into the yarn and it was gorgeous, Im a weaver and I used it in my coats and ponchos and never had any complaints. If anyone knows where I might find this yarn please let me know , I used to buy it from England for about 20.00 a skein and it came in natural or dyed
Thanks
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