In the NewsTaiwan firm develops coffee-ground textiles
Taiwan's newest innovation, "S Cafe nanometer coffee yarn" is taking the world by storm, and will be on exhibit at the Taiwan Art and Design Exhibition in London. This nanometer-scale product has broad applications in apparel and household decorations, and major international sports brands like Adidas, Nike and New Balance, as well as global coffee chains like Starbucks, have signed long-term cooperation agreements. Coffee beans are second only to petroleum as the most-traded commodity in the world. Globally, some two billion cups of coffee are downed each day. In Taiwan alone, this means that some 30,000 kilograms of coffee grounds are created daily. With global warming and the rise of green initiatives worldwide, reusable or recyclable products have become a hot new trend on the market. Noting this new market, Singtex Technical Fabric of Taiwan has taken recycled coffee grounds as raw material for textiles. The grounds are made into a product called "S Cafe nanometer coffee yarn" at temperatures of 180 degrees Celsius—lower than the 600 degrees normally required for the production of nanometer textile products. Coffee grounds produced from a single cup of ordinary coffee can be made into two attractive articles of clothing that can wick sweat away from the body, dry quickly and resist ultraviolet rays. It even keeps the ability of coffee to eliminate foul odors, making it possible for such clothing to not easily absorb body odors after being worn for two or three days. Singtex said it has always supported the Taiwanese clothing industry, and is happy to forge ahead with new concepts and new designs. They will be participating in the Ban-Doh @ Formosa exhibition in London. British visitors may see the nanometer yarn that took the "Branding Taiwan" prize at the Candid Arts Trust Gallery, as well as admire some pieces of clothing made from it. (This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times June 6.) |
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