A new German company called Qmilk is making t-shirts out of sour milk! Yes, really: the textile fabric is made from milk solids (yep, the same stuff that’s responsible for cheese) by mixing the solids with water to create a “dough,” then putting the dough into a special machine that separates the material into tiny fibers. With the amount of milk Germans throw away every year (about 2 million tons), Qmilk seems to have quite the sustainable business model.
One of its major advantages is it’s antibacterial properties. Like silk, it’s also temperature regulating, light, absorbent, compostable and flame resistant.
“We only need a maximum of two litres of water and an 80°C temperature [to make 1kg of textiles]. We have low waste and the process takes five minutes. Everything in the manufacture of Qmilk uses 100% natural and renewable resources,” Domaske stresses.
Photo by Jannes Frubel Fotografie
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
