AirCarbon is the name given to carbon-negative biomaterial that California start-up Newlight Technologies developed over more than a decade. AirCarbon has already won many awards for its innovative sustainability. It can be used for a variety of purposes and is produced from carbon emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The company devised a way to reverse climate change and plastic pollution by turning air and greenhouse gas (GHG) into a biodegradable plastic alternative. AirCarbon can be used to replace synthetic plastic and animal leather, and be recycled endlessly. This alternative material has already been used to produce more than 50 million items — from straws and shipping bags to sunglasses, wallets, dresses and chairs. Today, Carbon negative’ plastic AirCarbon has also sparked the interest of the luxury industry with a breakthrough range of accessories with a certified ’carbon negative’ footprint.
Here are examples of fashion industry leaders who are interested in this innovation:
· Nike's carbon sneakers, a product of a partnership between Newlight and Nike, are made of a carbon-negative biomaterial that is composed of 40% oxygen from the air and 60% carbon from greenhouse gases.
· Newlight also sells its AirCarbon-based accessories offering carbon-neutral eyeglasses, tote bags, handbags, small leather products, and smartphone and laptop pouches under the Covalent brand. Covalent Poppy Tote Handbag was designed from 51% AirCarbon, 14% bio-derived materials, and 35% synthetic ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
· Global furniture manufacturer KI introduced its world’s first carbon-negative desk chair. AirCarbon can be found among KI’s most successful product lines with the goal of having AirCarbon replace all plastic components over time.
· Zara, a major fashion retailer, and LanzaTech have partnered to create party dresses utilizing carbon emissions.
· carbon-negative diamonds, created by Aether Diamonds, are made of direct carbon capture technology. After purifying the carbon, Aether uses a reactor to transform the carbon into a real diamond over a few weeks.
This new material is one more in a long line of cutting-edge, green alternatives to oil-based plastics. It also provides an additional benefit as it could allow several industries to significantly reduce their environmental footprint.