15 December 2023

Elastomers in Sustainable Fashion

Focussing on the use of elastomers and elastomeric-like materials in sustainable fashion.

This hybrid seminar demonstrates a diverse overview of Elastomers in Sustainable Fashion and illustrate the different approaches to using elastomers in the industry.

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María José Munguía-Romero

PhD Student, Soft Matter Group, School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London

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Edward TJ Mitchell

Co-Founder & CTO, Arda Biomaterials

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Kresse Wesling CBE

Co-Founder, Elvis & Kresse

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María José Munguía-Romero: Understanding the Sustainability Challenges in the Shoe/Trainer Industry

Shoes currently are very rarely recycled. Typically, about 20 different components are found in a shoe, often these are made from different materials including elastomers. These materials are sewn and glued together to make products with specific properties, textures, and aesthetics that are hard to recycle. Exploring using life cycle analysis allows adjustments in the design, the material selection and the processes required to manufacture shoes to be explored. This will allow a comparison of the impact that mono-materials, technological manufacturing techniques and minimalist design on the environmental impact and increase the recyclability of shoes in the future.

Edward TJ Mitchell: Transforming beer protein into a leather alternative - entrepreneurship & biomaterial innovation

Leather and plastic-leather are unsustainable; by manipulating the rich protein content within brewers’ spent grain, the waste grain from brewing industry, Arda Biomaterials have developed an animal & plastic free alternative. Starting from kitchen experiments, the Arda team have since built a company with the key focus of developing novel biomaterials from waste streams. This talk will explore Arda’s entrepreneurial journey, their biomaterial’s (elastic) properties, and the challenges of innovation.

Kresse Wesling CBE: Luxury accessories made from decommissioned fire-hose

Luxury accessories made from decommissioned fire-hose. (with the longer bit as - Kresse will explain how they built a brand around the rescue of materials, including nitrile rubber hoses, and donation to charity partners).